Marriage by Law
by orphan mia
Summary: Koenma has enacted a new Marriage Law all throughout the Three Worlds that arranges the marriages of nigens, spirits, and demons. What kind of chaos will happen when Botan and Hiei find themselves engaged? HB REVIEW! COMPLETE!
1. Kiss the Bride to be

Marriage by Law : Kiss the Bride-to-be

A/N: Hey guys! If any of you read Harry Potter, and Harry Potter fanfiction, then this title should look familiar. That's right. I'm going there. Hhahaha. In the world of HP fandom, there is this plot device (as common as the mating season thing in YYH) that involves a law that forces arranged marriages. So, let's say that it happens throughout all of the Three Worlds. _**Unleash the Hiei x Botan goodness! **_Read and Review please!

I

Koenma frowned as his eyes went up and down the statistics on the paper. One more cringe after the other. The Prince pulled at his hair.

_There should be another answer!_

Nigens didn't help with their incestuous regions. But then again, all nigens were technically sinning due to incest. It had to overlooked, even though scientists themselves knew it. When religion, race, and any other sort of barrier got in the way of marriage and sex, you were bound to run into an ancient relative sooner or later.

But it didn't stop there.

With spirits marrying each other strictly, it was just like the old royal families. Cousins might inadvertently marry each other. And it seemed to be happening.

Stillborn after stillborn.

Miscarriages.

Mentally deficient babies.

In both Rekai and Makai. It was becoming a growing disaster. Koenma shivered. And his Father had known about it... and had warned him that something had to be done... but Koenma hadn't listened.

_But a __**law**_

Rekai and nigens were too closely alike to be forced to produce offspring. The relations from the ancient past could interfere.

So he turned to Makai. Demons were not so unlucky as the rest of the Worlds were turning out to be. They mated like crazy over there. And with no defects. Sure, some demons could be ugly, but their brain power would never fall below average.

_Lucky them._

II

"But Koenma, sir! You can't do that! Millions... no... billions would be _**furious **_with you!"

Koenma watched as his assistant Ayame stared at the papers in his hands. She leaned over his desk and jumped back, as if the law was poisonous.

"Ayame, you don't understand–"

"No, I know that Ningenkai and Rekai are in a bit of a sticky spot, but _this_ is too–"

"Then **you **tell me what I should do!" The two friends were silent. Koenma spit out his pacifier as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

Ayame sniffed.

"I-It's okay."

The Prince of Hell took out the papers.

"Read this. Just look at what's been happening for the past hundred years." He gave them to his faithful assistant. "It's only going to get worse. It will be irreversible, but there is still time to stop it from continuing!"

Ayame shook as her eyes went farther and farther down each page. She finally began to cry.

"Y-You're r-r-right. It's f-f-for the g-g-g-greater g-good."

She sank to the floor as Koenma summoned more and more papers as he signed the law. He had some work to do before his Father got a hand of assigning the partners.

III

Yusuke Urameshi shifted slightly in his sleep, his arms already wrapped around the woman he loved. He took a deep breath and was about to fade off into the deeper levels of REM when a high pitched electric jingle made him growl lethally.

Keiko's eyes fluttered open as she was the first to sit up.

"Yusuke?" She rubbed her eyes, her short brown hair messy. "Is that your Rekai communicator?"

Her boyfriend growled.

"It better not be."

He threw the covers off of himself and struggled to find his boxers. He pulled them on, hopping on one foot as he honed in on the ringing. He threw his clothes around until he found a pair of dirty jeans.

Digging in the pockets, he found the girly pink compact. Gritting his teeth, he flipped it open.

"This better be _good, _Koenma."

His demonic tattoos were slowly starting to appear. Keiko sat on the floor next to her boyfriend.

"Good..." She trailed off. "Oh, morning, Koenma."

The Prince on the other line gave a little salute to Keiko, making Yusuke glare at him with increased intensity.

"Good morning to you too." He twiddled his fingers together. "So, um... are you guys planning on g-g-getting m-married anytime soon?"

Yusuke's mouth dropped like an anvil. Keiko turned fluorescent red. The son of Raizen stammered.

"U-Ugh K-Koenma... _WHY IN THE HELL WOULD IT BE ANY OF __**YOUR **__BUSINESS ANYWAY?_"

Keiko clutched her ears and Koenma had tears in his eyes.

"Ow. I'm taking that as a no." He coughed. "So... you still love each other, right?"

Keiko and Yusuke looked at each other.

"Yes."

The Prince nodded curtly, as though they had just given him an order to follow through with.

"Okay then! Cheerio!"

His image flickered out. Keiko and Yusuke exchanged confused and tired glances.

_What was __**that **__all about?_

IV

Kurama lay in his bed, his eyes closed. He was at peace until his ears were attacked savagely by an electric melody. His green eyes cracked open.

_You have got to be __**kidding **__me._

The fox moaned as he sat up in his bed. He swung his legs over the bed and let his ears find the pesky compact. A few seconds later he was certain that it was in his underwear drawer.

Yanking open the drawer and fingering through boxers, Kurama finally found it and opened it. He was surprised when he did not see the Prince of Hell. Instead it was his little girlfriend, Ayame.

"H-Hello, Kurama." Her face was beet red. Kurama was confused for about three seconds. Then he realized it that it was because his shirt was off. "I-I was wondering if you ar–"

If she was asking him out, Kurama knew that he had to let her down gently. Besides, wasn't she with Koenma?

"Sorry, Ayame, but I really have to catch up on my sleep. I have to meet Shizuru tomorrow for breakfast and I–"

And just like that she left the screen.

Kurama blinked. Was it something he said? But then she came back, as fast as she left.

"Oh, of course. So sorry. Goodnight."

The kitsune shook himself. Yes. He was awake.

"Goodnight, Ayame."

He clicked the compact shut. The tingling at the base of his stomach told him that something was going on. Sleep, however, was a more alluring temptation than curiosity at the early hour.

Kurama Shuiichi closed his eyes and went back to sleep, forgetting the questions running through his head.

V

Kuwabara just fell into bed when his Rekai compact started ringing. He grumbled darkly under his breath as he searched under his bed. He finally found it. Yanking it out and dusting it off, Kuwabara opened it.

"Hello, Kuwabara."

The nigen scratched his head.

"Koenma? Look dude, I just got back from a date with Yukina. It would awesome if you just let me sl–"

"Oh, yes. Never mind then."

The screen went black. Kuwabara blinked.

"What the _**hell **_was that?"

VI

Koenma chewed his bottom lip.

The acid in his stomach was bubbling up to his throat.

His palms were sweating. He looked at the time.

He only had thirty seconds left! _Shit_!

_Oh screw it. _He almost threw up. _They will thank me. Later. __**Way later. **_

Koenma signed the papers just before it disappeared. He knew... he **knew **that he was pretty much asking to be killed. To be sliced. To be beaten. To be slapped. To be scratched.

As he swallowed some vomit, one thought crossed his mind.

_It's for the greater good._

VII

The notices were posted a few hours later, in the morning. Yusuke got up, tugging on some jeans and wandered into the bathroom. He turned on the light and reached for the toothbrush, his eyes lazily lifting to the mirror.

His reflection was not looking back at him.

The detective clutched his chest as he let out a loud shout. The person in the mirror was a woman, her pink hair and green eyes very different to him. But he recognized the kimono almost immediately.

It looked just like Botan's. Only this one was sky blue.

"What fuck– who the hell are _**you**_?"

The girl looked taken aback.

"Mr. Urameshi?"

Yusuke stared at her.

"Yeah?"

The girl looked around, as if trying to see what the view from the other side of the mirror didn't cover.

"Is this not Miss Yukimura's home?"

Yusuke felt himself flushing.

"It is."

The girl was quiet, as if expecting more. Then she shrugged and turned her back to him. She started shouting to someone that Yusuke couldn't see. Then she turned back around, two rolled up pieces of paper in her hands.

"Well, it's like hitting two birds with one stone." She leaned forward and _came out _of the mirror. "Here you go."

She extended her arm and dangled her hand out. Yusuke cautiously took the documents and as soon as the paper left the girl's skin, she retreated back into the mirror.

"Have a good day, Mr. Urameshi. Congratulations with your marriage!"

Yusuke looked like an idiot, staring at his now there reflection, his mouth hanging open like someone had broken it.

"M-Marriage?"

The ex-detective untied the ribbon to his scroll. He watched it fall down as the paper unrolled. He read the message that was gracefully painted on it.

_**Congratulations Yusuke Urameshi! **_

_**Due to the newly enacted Marriage Law of the Three Worlds, your wedding with Keiko Yukimura will fall on November 15**__**th**__** of 2007. May your life together be a happy and prosperous one. **_

Yusuke saw Koenma's big red stamp on it.

"That little pri–"

VIII

Kurama yawned as he got dressed in the morning. He quickly found a casual and yet not too grubby shirt and jeans. He combed his hair, spraying a touch of moisturizer in his red locks. He quickly brushed his teeth and rushed down the stairs.

He was pulling on his jacket as he opened the door, walking out. That was when he saw the paper taped onto his door.

Kurama gently pulled it off. The side that was visible said:_** NOTICE **_in really big letters. The kitsune turned it around so he could read the back of it.

_**Congratulations Kurama Shuiichi!**_

_**Due to the newly enacted Marriage Law of the Three Worlds, your marriage to Shizuru Kuwabara falls on November 15**__**th**__** of 2007. May your life together be a happy and prosperous one.**_

The fox slowed his breathing. He closed his eyes. When he opened them, the paper was still in his slightly shaking hands.

He quickly departed for the café. He needed to see Shizuru. Now.

IX

Kazuma Kuwabara didn't wake up until noon. He saw a bowl was out for him, with cereal. His sister must have left it out for him. He smiled at the note.

_I'm having breakfast with Kurama. I wasn't sure if you could feed yourself, you big lug, so have some cereal. See you later._

He yawned and stretched. That was when he heard loud knocking. He jumped at the noise and turned to the door.

"Kazuma Kuwabara?"

A female voice was on the other side. Kuwabara opened the door to see a pretty girl with purple hair and gold eyes. She looked up into his face.

"Are you Kazuma Kuwabara of the Rekai Tentei?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

She reached into her kimono and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper.

"This is for you." She bowed slightly after he took it. "It's an honor to meet you sir. Congratulations."

She vanished from his vision.

Kuwabara frowned, still standing in his doorway. He untied the ribbon, putting it in his pocket, knowing that Yukina would like it. He opened the scroll and read it's message.

_**Congratulations Kazuma Kuwabara!**_

_**Due to the newly enacted Marriage Law of the Three Worlds, your marriage to Yukina of the Koorime race will fall on November 15**__**th**__** of 2007. May your life together be a happy and prosperous one.**_

Kuwabara fainted dead away in his doorway.

X

Botan stretched lazily in her bed. _No work and all play makes Jane a happy girl. _She was happily sleeping in her vacation house in one of the many fields in England. She smelled the coffee and could already taste the biscuits that she was planning to make.

With a watering mouth, Botan got up and put the already molded biscuits into the oven. She poured herself some coffee, added some milk and sugar, and carried on with her morning. Botan thought that she might as well get the paper as she waited for her biscuits to cook.

The top ferry girl of Rekai opened the door and took a breath of that nice, fresh air. She let the breeze of England whisper against her face. She walked out a little bit to pick up the paper, and as she turned, she saw a paper on the door of her house.

Squinting, she could see the big, bold letters of it.

_**NOTICE**_

She tucked the newspaper under her left arm and took the "notice" off of her door. She ran her hands over the letters and turned it over.

Silence.

No birds chirped. The breeze stopped. Nothing moved.

"_**I'm getting married to WHO?"**_

XI

Hiei Jaganeshi was walking through some forest in Ningenkai. His morning had been odd to say the least.

First, he wakes up to hear someone nearby, calling his name. It wasn't anyone from the Rekai Tentei, and it wasn't the baka onna. If it wasn't one of them, then he wasn't bothering with them.

That was three hours ago.

Hiei found himself still avoiding the same person, who was following him now, not saying his name. It didn't matter if he dashed through the trees or on the ground, they would always keep up with him in the end.

Finally, he lost his patience.

Whirling around and leaping forward, Hiei found himself face to face with a blonde woman.

She twitched and almost fainted. It didn't faze the fire demon. He just glared at her. As he waited for her to say **something**, he took in a few things about her. One: she was wearing the same kimono as the baka ferry onna, only this one was a darker pink. Two: she was no comparison to the baka onna. She was clearly scared of him, thus not strong. Plus... she was nothing special to look at.

"U-um, M-Mr. Jaganshi?"

Hiei's eyes _almost _widened at such a formal greeting.

"Hn."

The ferry girl fidgeted nervously. She took out a scroll and handed it to him, her hand shaking.

"H-Here you go."

Hiei took it, sliced off the ribbon and read it.

The ferry girl stayed where she was, as the demon glared at her, telling her to stay.

There were five minutes of long silence.

"Onna." She squeaked as she looked up into his eyes. "Tell me, what is this word?"

She cautiously walking forward to see what word the Koorime was pointing to. She squinted.

"Marriage?" Hiei nodded. "Well... wait, do you want to know what it means?"

"Tell me if you want to keep all of your limbs."

Eyes wide and adrenalin on fire, the ferry girl was ready to become a college professor on getting married.

"Okay, well, a marriage is..."

Fifteen minutes went by. Hiei was unfazed until he heard a certain bit.

"You see, and then the priest says, 'You may now kiss the bride,' and that's when you kiss her." And then there was the next part. "This is a new law was enacted by Koenma about seven hours ago... and your marriage will be the equivalent of a demon mating ceremony. You will be forever tied to your chosen partner for your entire life."

She sighed.

"Is that all you needed, Mr. Jaganshi?"

Hiei could barely manage to nod. As soon as the ferry girl vanished, the paper she had been holding bust into roaring flames. His eyes were bloodthirsty.

_Koenma... I'm __**coming **__for you._

As Hiei sped off, the one line from that terrible paper floated back into his head.

_... your marriage to Botan of Rekai (the top ferry girl) will fall on November 15__th__ of 2007. _

_**May your life together be a happy and prosperous one.**_

XII

A/N: Please... PLEASE tell me if you like this idea. It will be a lot more lighthearted then some of my other HB fics (coughs: the Bio of HB: coughs). Yeah, please review! I'll give you hugs and... a... free Hiei plushie! Oohh!

Review!

-mia


	2. Angry Brides and Grooms

Marriage by Law : Angry Brides and Grooms

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I had no idea that the story said that it was complete. It's not... obviously. Anyway, I was wondering, since all of you guys like this story so much, just give Three Families a chance. It's good, I swear it. Please? Read and Review!

I

Botan ran back inside, shutting off the oven and slipping on a jacket over her pajamas. She didn't even stop in the mirror to get a look at herself. She knew that her hair was down, frizzy and tossed. The ferry girl didn't care.

Summoning her oar, Botan soared through the skies. The autumn air was crisp and cool against her fair skin, but she only went faster. _Koenma is out of his mind! Me must be... possessed... poisoned... something!_

Her knuckles were white, that's how tightly she was holding her oar. Her pink eyes narrowed as she cleared the clouds and saw the Gates to Rekai. Taking a swift turn, Botan flew straight up, almost sliding right off of her oar.

Botan knew that her cheeks were starting to turn scarlet with disbelief and embarrassment. _Me... __**married**__... to _**Hiei **_of all people! _The ferry girl didn't know many demons... and even though she couldn't fathom herself with Hiei... she couldn't picture herself with Kurama either.

_Don't get me wrong, I think Kurama is a great person... but... it's just... I just... it would be awkward. He's one of my best friends. And Hiei... well Hiei just hates me._

Botan entered a window and flew down the halls of Rekai. Papers flew up. Ogres jumped out of the way. The ferry girl stopped right outside of Koenma's office, her oar disappearing and her limbs shaking from sudden half of speed.

However, when Botan opened the door, she was astonished to see that someone had beaten her to her boss's office

There, holding the kicking and screaming toddler in mid air, was Hiei Jaganshi.

"Hiei! Put me down right now!"

The toddler was trying to land a good kick to the Koorime's face. Hiei was holding Koenma up by his collar, and Botan was speechless as Hiei brought him down close, their noses touching.

"_**Change that Law... leave me **__**out**__** of Rekai's hysteria!**_"

Finally, Botan found her voice.

"H-Hiei?"

The two men turned, seeing the ferry girl for the first time. Koenma's face was turning red due to the lack of oxygen. He used Hiei's distraction to swat himself out of his grip, falling to the ground with a red face.

"Hn."

Hiei turned away from her, his shoulders almost touching his ears. His arms were shaking. Koenma was taking long, deep breaths, regaining his normal color.

"Botan... what are you doing here? You still have two weeks left for her vacation."

The ferry girl let her eyes leave Hiei, though it was very reluctantly.

"Koenma... what in the Three Worlds were you thinking?" She took a deep breath. "I mean... Hiei and _**I **_getting married? It's ludicrous, sir."

She was on her knees, helping him up.

"It was the best I could do... it was... all I could do."

Hiei turned, snarling. Various papers began to catch on fire.

"_**Don't you give me that. You didn't have to make this idiotic law in the first place!"**_

Botan glared over her shoulder at the fire demon.

"Hiei, _stop it_. Koenma isn't going to give us any answers if his office turns to ash."

Pink met dark red and finally the fires in the room stopped. The ferry girl sighed, and she suddenly relaxed greatly.

"T-thank you, Botan." The Prince shot a sour look at the demon. "At least **someone **here is being civilized about this whole situation."

II

Kurama was panting as he arrived at the cozy café at the corner of the street. His red hair was sticking to his forehead when he opened the door.

He saw Shizuru smoking in the corner. Her eyes were staring at her cup of coffee. Kurama walked smoothly over to her and sat in the booth. She looked into his eyes, smiling with her cigarette hanging from her lips.

"How was your morning?"

The fox sighed and brought the tea that she had ordered him to his lips.

"Interesting, to say the least."

Shizuru reached inside her purse and pulled out the marriage notice. She slid it across the table to him, her smile gone.

"A girl who was dressed in the same type of robes like Botan... she came through my _mirror _this morning."

The kitsune felt his ears prickle.

"Your mirror?"

The young woman nodded.

"Yes... I went to brush my teeth, and she was there... just looking at me like she was my reflection." The woman finally let out one of her well known low chuckles. "It was a shock, to say the least." She put out her cigarette and drank her coffee. "She gave me this."

Kurama turned the paper over, knowing that it would read: _**Due to the newly enacted Marriage Law of the Three Worlds, your marriage to Kurama Shuiichi falls on November 15**__**th**__** of 2007. May your life together be a happy and prosperous one.**_

And it did.

Shizuru spoke again after Kurama was silent.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

Kurama put down his tea, his green eyes piercing as he stared into Shizuru's brown hooded eyes.

"I don't think so... here, come with me. We'll find out."

Kurama stood and offered his hand. She took it and they walked out of the café, some money on the table, and went off to Rekai.

Hand in hand.

III

Hiei had to turn away when the baka ferry onna entered the room. He was just... so... _**angry**_ that he didn't want her to see him in such an emotional state. How could Koenma... put him... with the onna? _Of all women, __**why did it have to be **_**her**?

His lost control again, his fire actually leaving his brain and leaping to things on Koenma's desk.

"Koenma... just tell me, what was going through your mind when you made this law?"

The Prince leaned his back against the desk, his short and stubby legs stretched out on the cool tile.

"Incest. Incest, Botan. You have no idea how bad it's getting. With spirits and nigens... it's just irreversible now. Dad told me about it a few centuries ago... but I thought that when technology became advanced enough to link all the world together... that it would be over."

Hiei finally snorted.

"Hn. Leave it to nigens to screw up their mating process."

Koenma ignored Hiei's comment and continued.

"So I made a law... that nigens and spirits would be paired with people that they were not related to in even the smallest amounts. Demons had to used, since they rarely mate with nigens as it is."

Hiei now walked so he was next to Botan, refusing to sit next to her, so he remained standing.

"How are you going to get normal nigens, who _don't _know about Makai, agree to marrying a demon?"

Hiei had to give it to the onna, it was a good question. He was going to ask it if she didn't.

"We are going to make their souls pull at the demons, and when they meet, it will be love at first sight, for the nigens. The demons... well... they will just have to get used to the idea of marrying with a nigen."

There was a silence. Botan slumped over, and Hiei got a look at her eyes. They were lost. Now she knew... there was no going back. The law was set. And Koenma wasn't going to abolish it. Since the onna was unusually silent, the Forbidden Child decided to speak up, his dark tenor voice sending chills down the spine of the Prince of Hell.

"And _why _did you pair me with the _**baka ferry onna**_?"

Hiei felt his Koorime blood set in, his voice ice cold without a hint of fire. Botan now moved away from the Prince, closer to Hiei. The fire demon had never seen her eyes so stony before. The forced couple was waiting. Waiting for Koenma to own up to his actions.

"Because... because I didn't want her to be paired with just any **demon**!" Botan's blue eyebrows pressed themselves together, making a crease on her forehead. "All of the Rekai Tentei... my friends... I didn't want them to be paired with someone that could possibly make their lives miserable..."

Botan's hand was over her lips, her eyes misty.

"Miserable?"

Koenma's head hung low.

"Domestic abuse. A life devoid of love... of even friendship." His brown eyes caught Hiei's for a short flash. "I didn't want Botan... my best friend... to be tossed to chance. There was only one person left, and I chose Hiei."

IV

"Marriage?"

Keiko was sitting on the bed, clad in only a large tee shirt. Yusuke tossed the notice at her.

"Koenma's made a law... a Marriage Law... and we're getting married on November 15th."

The nigen's eyes scanned over the document. She sighed dramatically and put down the paper, pulling a pillow to hold in her arms.

"Well... what do you make of all this?"

The Son of Raizen sat down, the mattress sagging a bit.

"It's overwhelming. To say the least."

A smoky silence settled over the now engaged couple.

"I love you. I just... I just want to let you know."

The girl, who was still in her last year of college, was blushing as she said it. She had said it before, screamed it on some nights, but never like this. So soft... gentle... and now... truly honest.

"I know." Yusuke leaned over to her and kissed her lightly. "Me too, babe."

Her hand jerked and slapped Yusuke's cheek lightly when his hand circled around her waist and groped her bottom.

"What are we going to do?"

The ex Spirit Detective shrugged.

"I dunno. Give Koenma hell?"

All Keiko had to do was laugh and they were halfway to Rekai.

V

Kurama pulled Shizuru down alleyway after alleyway.

"Kurama, where are we going?"

The fox stopped when they met a dead end. He pulled out the spirit compact and pressed a button that was labeled _**portal**_.

"We had to get out of sight." A bright rip opened up and made Shizuru squint. "Just... just come with me." She grabbed his arm tightly. The kitsune smirked inwardly. "It might tingle a little, since it's your first time."

Before Shizuru could voice her doubts, they were in the portal and soaring towards Rekai. In a sudden jerk and loss of the bright light, the two companions stumbled forward in the busy halls of Rekai.

"Whoa..."

It was like the stock market. Ogres and ferry girls running everywhere, papers flying and shouts echoing and bouncing off the walls. He pulled her down the halls, smiling at her open mouth and wide eyes.

They stopped in front of a door. The nigen took her arm out of Kurama's hold and reached for the knob, twisting it and pushing the door open.

There, on the ground, was Koenma and Botan. Standing next to the top ferry girl of all Rekai. The Prince of Hell looked up and then rolled his eyes, as if he knew that today was going to be one of the longest days of his life.

"Koenma... care to explain _**this**_?"

Kurama held up the notice. That was when the door was opened again for the room to see Yusuke Urameshi and his girlfriend Keiko standing in the doorway in what looked like their pajamas.

"Okay, brat, I know that cocaine is really addictive, but don't let it interfere with your work!"

The door clicked shut and Kurama could tell that Koenma had a headache.

"Come on! You should be _**thankful**_! At least I selected your fiances for you and didn't put it through random selection!"

Yusuke looked at Keiko and smiled, giving her a half shrug. Kurama frowned. _Koenma thought Shizuru was a good match for me?_ He thought about it. _Oh... so __**that **__was why Ayame just left after I said I was going to breakfast with her. She thought I was on a date with Shizuru!_

That was when the fox realized that there were a total of six people there besides Koenma. _Shizuru and I are a pair... and so are Yusuke and Keiko._ And that left only two others.

"_**You paired Hiei with Botan?"**_

Shizuru pointed it out, actually pointing with her mouth open. Botan turned scarlet and murmured something under her breath. Hiei crossed his arms and glared at the Prince, baring his teeth.

"Yes. I am."

The words were strained, stinging, and cold as marble. Kurama opened his mind.

**I can't imagine what you did when you got your certificate. **

Hiei narrowed his eyes.

**I burned it. **He blinked as he looked away, running his hands through his black hair. It was nervous reflex that only Kurama knew about. **It was hard not to kill the ferry onna that gave it to me...**

Kurama let out a humorless chuckle.

**I could only imagine. **He sighed. **Did Koenma tell you why he put Botan with **_**you**_

The fox swore that he saw color rise to the Koorime's cheeks, but it could have been a trick of the light.

**Hn. It was around the lines that he didn't want Botan to be paired with some random demon. He said that she didn't deserve a possible life devoid of love... and possible violence and misery.**

Kurama was silent.

He wasn't sure that Koenma had been all that wise. It wasn't that Hiei would beat Botan. Never. But... love? It was... farfetched. If Kurama had traveled back in time and told his past self that in the future, Botan and Hiei would be getting married, Kurama would have laughed in his own face.

**What do you think of his reasoning?**

Hiei didn't answer for a long while. Koenma was repeating everything he said, and halfway through, Botan got up.

"Koenma, sir?" The Prince looked up. "I'm gonna go. I... I just need... I just need to leave."

Kurama had never heard Botan talk like she was. Her voice was shaking and her eyes were red. Her hands were trembling like dead leaves on a tree. She walked out, not looking anyone in the eyes, making sure to not even come within six inches of her future husband.

When she closed the door, everyone heard a deep sigh. Like she let out a breath that held her entire being inside of it. No doubt, she was crying.

"Well, that couldn't have gone any worse."

Koenma had his head in his hands. Yusuke bit his lip.

"Do you think someone should go after her?"

Keiko touched his arm, shaking her head quietly.

"No. She just needs to be alone."

Another painful silence. Everyone was trying to look at Hiei without getting his attention. It wasn't working.

"Hn." He turned away. "Baka onna gets too emotional."

He turned and walked out, his jacket billowing behind him. As the door closed, Kurama got one final message from his best friend.

**The brat should have thought things through. **A long pause. **I can not give the onna what Koenma wants me to give her. **

And Hiei faded away, disappearing with the wind.

VI

Botan flew half heartedly though the air. She had deluded herself. She thought that Koenma would have been able to change the law. She thought... she thought...

_I thought I would have a chance at a normal... happy life. _

She sniffed and hiccuped. The ferry girl was flying slowly back to England. She felt sick. She knew that she made a fool of herself... in front of all of her friends and Hiei... of all people!

There was no real way to explain what had happened. She felt like the room was shrinking, the walls just getting tighter and tighter until...

She just had to get out of there. She couldn't breathe, and even though she was in the endless sky, it was still hard.

Botan began to sob, her tears falling into the clouds below.

VII

Genkai woke up at five o'clock. She stretched and walked outside to check up on everything, like what kind of plants that the deer ate. That was when something caught her eye. The old woman walked towards her front door.

Her eyes narrowed.

_**NOTICE**_

_What the...?_

She took the paper off of the door and turned it over.

_**Due to the newly enacted Marriage Law of the Three Worlds, your marriage Kazuma Kuwabara will fall on November 15**__**th**__** of 2007. May your life together be a happy and prosperous one.**_

No doubt it was for Yukina. The old woman stared at the document and walked slowly back into the temple. She sat down, placing the document on the table and just thought for a good minute.

_If... no... __**when **__Hiei finds out... Kuwabara is a dead man._

Genkai started to make tea, waiting with slightly anxious nerves for Yukina to wake up.

VIII

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Please keep on leaving them. Oh, and if you read Three Families, please... PLEASE review! I mean... I just really, really like the story and don't want to see it dry up. Thank you. So if you liked this story, leave a note!

P.s. Points to whoever finds the innuendo in this chapter!

-mia


	3. Family

Marriage by Law : Family

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Keep on leaving them! Um, yeah lol. Read and Review.

I

Weeks passed. November was already upon the world. Botan was wandering through the hills of England. Keiko had called earlier, saying that they were going to shop for wedding dresses. Botan had politely refused. Keiko had insisted, but others would say she demanded that Botan be there.

The ferry girl shivered. _I don't __**want **__to have a wedding dress! I don't __**want **__a wedding! _The more she kept on thinking about it, the more she was going to ger herself worked up over it. Botan shivered, trying to stop the moisture from gathering at her eyes.

She sat down in the grass, bringing her knees up to her chest.

_Besides, Hiei will never go through with the ceremony. _Her pink eyes were hooded with grief. _He'd kill me before he even got close enough to kiss me._ Her stomach was twisting itself in knots. She stood and her hands clutched at the pleated skirt she was wearing. _I should just stop thinking about it. I've got to go... shopping... anyway._

Her slender hand raised itself in the air and she summoned her oar. The wind kicked up as she mounted it. Her pink eyes didn't even widen with her usual excitement when she rocketed off into the horizon, towards Japan.

II

Hiei panted. He had no idea where he was, but all he knew was that the baka ferry onna had to be nearby. He stood on a grassy plain and he jumped into a leafy tree.

He saw a shape moving towards the top of the hill. His red eyes widened when he saw that it was the ferry onna.

_What is she doing all the way out here?_

He had tried to find her, mostly because of Kurama's nagging. But... he had never expected that she was out of Japan. As he caught his breath, he opened his Jagan. _Just because Kurama said I had to __**see **__her doesn't mean I have to talk to her. _

Crimson eyes drifted shut as he breathed deeply, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree.

_**I don't want a wedding dress! I don't want a wedding!**_

The fire demon's lips curled upwards in a humorless smirk. _Neither do I, baka onna. _

_**Besides, Hiei would never go through with the ceremony. He would kill me before he even got close enough to kiss me.**_

The Forbidden Child's eyes widened. _Now there's a thought. _He unsheathed his katana. _Maybe if I kill the so-called priest... the onna and I will not be wed! _He saw her jump on her oar, shooting off into the air faster than a falling star.

**Hiei?**

Kurama's voice echoed in Hiei's head.

**What?**

**Come back. We all have to by tux's for the wedding. **Hiei growled and didn't move. He wasn't all that enthusiastic about running across the ocean again. **I'll by you some sweet snow...**

The fire demon closed the mental connection and disappeared, sprinting his way to Japan.

III

"Come on, this store looks good!"

Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina all cooed at the dresses outside. Botan grimaced and sulked as they dragged her into the store. Yukina had already found a gorgeous dress, Shizuru had one that she was pretty sure she was going to keep.

It was only Botan and Keiko who needed their dress.

The ferry girl sighed as the nigen sorted through dresses. She gazed at some bridesmaids dresses, wondering if she could get off at just being a bridesmaid, not a bride. She was so caught up in her glowering that she didn't realize the hand on her back.

"Miss? Are you looking for a wedding dress too?"

Botan jumped a little and turned to see a smiling blonde man. Her lips twitched upwards.

"Y-yes. I am."

He smiled and pressed his hand on her back, guiding her to a separate room.

"There's no need to be shy. My name is Michael and I think I have a few dresses that will be _perfect _for your type of look."

Botan watched as he left her.

"My type of look?"

Michael, in his suit, was muttering to himself.

"No... the lace on this is annoying." He scratched his head. "The beading is all wrong..." He shuffled around some dresses, leaving the ferry girl to anxiously await his verdict. She would tap her foot, scratch her arms, wiggled her fingers and toes, but nothing would take away the nervousness that welled up in her chest. "_**Aha! **_I _found _it!"

He pulled a dress to him, and Botan's eyes widened. It was... beautiful. Michael snapped his fingers, and two women seemed to just magically appear at his sides.

"Mary, Anne, please, help Botan into this dress."

The two women were very straight faced. The ferry girl secretly thought that they looked like they hadn't smiled in their entire life. One had blonde hair, the other had red, but that didn't matter when they both snagged Botan's arms and dragged her into a dressing room.

The ferry girl couldn't say anything as she was literally stripped down. The blonde worked at the buttons of her shirt and the red head unzipped her skirt and yanked it down her legs. It was only when the blonde began to unclip her bra that Botan found words.

"H-hey! I t-think I can handle myself, thanks!"

The blonde continued taking off her bra.

"Ma'am, we're professionals."

The redhead grabbed the straps and dragged it down her arms.

"Nothing we do is personal."

Botan bit her lip and tried to fight the rising blush on her cheeks as the dress was pulled up and zipped. The two girls circled her, adjusting little things here and there, and finally, she was out of the small dressing room.

"Oh, bien!" Michael clapped his hands together. "You look beautiful."

Michael, in his spare time, must have gotten Keiko and the others. Because, there they all were. Staring at the ferry girl.

"Botan... you're so... beautiful..."

Keiko began to cry. Yukina could only smile, some tear gems clinking onto the floor. Shizuru was speechless, wringing her hands with joy.

The ferry girl hadn't even seen the dress. She turned to a mirror and almost fainted at what she saw. The reflection did not cast her back. Instead, Botan was gazing into some other world, where everyone is an angel. A Princess.

The dress was strapless, with two layers composing the top. It was white with a sheer fabric underneath. The dress was long, with slits up the sides with pale lavender underneath. Since it lacked sleeves, the dress had wrappings around her arms, which, in the back, turned out to be a shawl.

"I... I can't take this." Michael's eyes watered and Botan's party cried out. "I'm not a princess. I shouldn't wear it."

Pink eyes looked away from the reflection. Michael grabbed her hand.

"Mon cherie! You must have that dress! It's _**perfect **_for you." His blue eyes sparkled. "It will have your husband reeling."

Botan's entire demeanor darkened, but before she could say anything, Keiko grabbed her hand and spun her around to look at the mirror again.

"Come on, Botan! Look at yourself!" The ferry girl looked. "It's every little girls dream to get married, to play princess." The nigen stood on tiptoe and whispered into Botan's ear. "Even if it's just pretend, if it doesn't matter, you should still wear something beautiful. It's your _**wedding.**_"

It seemed that it took only seconds for the dress to be taken off, bought, and for Botan to be walking out of the store. Unlike any of the brides-to-be there, she was not smiling.

IV

"Can't we just buy one and _**go?**_"

"For once... I agree with the baka nigen."

Kuwabara was whining while Hiei just glared at any employee who _dared _get too close to him. Kurama looked his way towards the tuxes. Yusuke's face was in a constant grimace as he pulled out the most girly ones, snickering as he gave it to Kuwabara.

Kurama snapped his fingers.

"I forgot. We need to know the color of our bride's dresses!"

Yusuke raised his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't they be _white?_"

Kurama shook his heads.

"Most dresses have a color beneath them. Like an undertone."

Kuwabara pulled out his cell phone.

"I'll just text Yu–"

"Hiei! Why don't you go and find out what color Botan's dress is?"

Kurama practically had to push Hiei out of the store, leaving the fire demon rumpled and discontented. When Kurama got back, his face was just a bit paler.

"Kuwabara! Why didn't you tell us that you were getting married to Yukina?"

The nigen shrugged.

"No one asked."

V

Hiei glared at Kurama's retreating back. _How dare he... push me about like I was some child! _The demon, however, could not stay mad. He simply just crossed his arms and stalked down the streets.

**Hiei? I hope you haven't forgotten what you are **_**supposed **_**to be doing. **

_Damn. _

**No, kitsune. **

Hiei closed the mind connection. The clouds were grey and it was cold enough to make the nigens shiver. _The fifteenth is coming. _Hiei removed his bandana and activated his Jagan. He saw her on a cobblestone street, following her friends around.

His crimson eyes sparked to life as he darted down the streets, between cars and buildings. The cold hair hit his face, but he didn't really care. He finally caught up to her. She was about to enter a café, but just as she was about to go through the door, he grabbed her wrist.

In what Hiei gaged as a defensive reaction, Botan grabbed Shizuru's hand, squeezing it.

"Onna!"

Botan's eyes widened and she turned, her hand still clutching the older sister of the baka nigen.

"Hiei?"

The entire group was silent. Shizuru's hooded eyes widened. Yukina smiled and waved slightly to him. Keiko's hair bristled, like a cat's. Hiei had never been embarrassed in his entire life. Yet, with all these eyes on him, he felt a fluttering in his chest that only grew more feverous and rapid when he tried to only look in the onna's pink eyes.

"Let's leave these two alone." Shizuru slid her hand out of Botan's grasp, causing the ferry girl to break eye contact with Hiei and stare at her as if she had just been betrayed. Shizuru ignored the glare and glanced at Hiei. "Play nice."

The entire group was pushed into the café and Botan was left alone. She pulled her jacket around her and played with the tassels on the scarf. Hiei began to walk, Botan following him. She was breathing quite quick. He was about to speak when she beat him to it.

"Are you going to kill me?"

The demon thief almost tripped.

"What?"

Botan's hands tightened around her scarf. Squeezing it. Refusing to visibly break down.

"A-Are you going to k-k-k-kill me?"

The Koorime almost rolled his eyes, but he saw her distraught appearance. The makeup that she had been wearing was starting to fade. He could see the dark marks under eyes.

"No, baka onna."

Her shoulders visibly relaxed and she took a deep breath. For the first time that day, Botan smiled. Truly, smiled.

"Oh... good." She tried to laugh a bit, like she was slowly getting all of her feelings and emotions back. "What did you want, then?"

Hiei was slightly unnerved by her reaction. _Had she __**really **__thought that I was going to kill her? _

"Hn. I need to know what color your dress is."

The ferry girl raised a blue brow.

"What... white?"

"No... Kurama said... the undertone color."

"Oh!" Botan's hands released her scarf. "It's uh... it's a pale lavender." Her hands shot back up to the scarf again. "Why?"

The demon stopped under a street lamp.

"The fox said something about matching." There was a silence. "Why are all of you and your friends shopping together?"

Botan's fingers tangled themselves inside the tassels.

"To make things easier." She paused. "Since we're all getting married."

It took a few moments for it to sink in. Botan was a bit light headed, seeing as how Hiei was going to kill her... yet... and that this was the most she had ever really talked to him.

"Yukina too?"

All Hiei had to do was see the onna's brow furrow with worry and he was gone, leaving behind the smell of smoke and sandalwood.

VI

Kurama felt the approaching demon energy moments before the storm entered the tuxedo store. Hiei burst through the door, his cloak curling and the ends of it burning.

"_**Where is he?" **_

Kuwabara stuck his head out of a dressing room.

"Kurama, what's going on–"

Hiei lunged forward, the workers in the store screaming as he drew his katana.

"This **baka **is going to marry my _**sister**_!"

The entire store fell silent. Hiei's face went from enraged, to horrified, to red. Kurama thought he had heard wrong. Yusuke dropped his tux to the floor. It was Kuwabara who unwisely opened his mouth.

"Yukina is your _**sister?**_"

Hiei seemed to be in shock. He backed up, his katana falling to the floor. Kurama seized his moment of unarmed weakness to grab his shoulders and guide him out of the door, giving Yusuke a look that said: _Debrief Kuwabara. _

The cool fresh air seemed to ease the shoulders of Hiei, but his jaw was still clenched shut, refusing to look Kurama in the eye.

"It's okay." No response. "I'm sure that Kuwa–"

"That **baka**... That... _**baka**_..."

Kurama sat Hiei down on a bench. The wind blew dead leaves off of the trees.

"Would you rather have Yukina wed to some random demon? Maybe an abusive one?" Hiei flinched. "Or one that was a sex deviant?" The air became warmer, Hiei's rage turning into heat. "If I had to pick someone to become Yukina's husband under this law, I would have chosen Kuwabara."

The air became more heavy and hot.

"But... but... he's a ni–"

"Nigen or not, he loves your sister. He would never hurt her, emotionally or physically. You know that."

The air became cool again. Kurama stood.

"You can stay out here if you want. I know your measurements enough to get you a tux." The fox ran his fingers through his hair. "What color is Botan's dress?"

Hiei finally looked into his best friend's green eyes.

"Pale lavender." Kurama turned and began to walk back to the store. "Kurama." The kitsune turned a bit, head looking over his shoulder. "Just because... I didn't kill him now... doesn't mean that I don't hate him."

The fox only smiled and walked towards the store, leaving the fire demon to ponder what just happened by himself.

VII

Botan had found her way back to the café. She barely sat down and sipped her tea before she was questioned. Keiko's hands hit the table, the cups rattling, her face red with worry.

"Did he hurt you? Did he threaten you? Botan, just say the word and I'll have Yusuke–"

The ferry girl smiled a bit uneasily.

"No. He... he just wanted to know what color my wedding dress was."

Keiko's face fell and Yukina gave her a small tap on the shoulder.

"See, Keiko, I told you Hiei is good!"

Shizuru gave Botan a biscuit.

"Here. I saved it for you."

The ferry girl accepted it graciously.

"Thank you."

They started making small talk, discussing anything but the upcoming wedding ceremonies. The door to the café opened, a little bell ringing. No one thought of it until it was thrust into their face.

Hiei appeared at the table. Botan was silent, her eyes sliding away from his.

"Yukina. I need to..." He looked away, as if embarrassed. "Talk to you."

The Koorime nodded and excused herself. Botan watched as the two of them walked outside.

Pink eyes followed. Hiei didn't take her far. They were both just shy of a street lamp. Now everyone at the table was watching through the window.

His mouth moved, his eyes fighting to meet hers. At the end, however, he lost the battle and looked away. His fists were clenched, his back straight. The stance of a man about to be judged. The stance of a man who had just revealed everything.

For a few breathless moments, there was nothing. Yukina's eyes were wide, tears forever trapped in those endless eyes of hers.

Then time broke.

She launched forward, hugging her brother. Tear gems shimmered in the dim light as they fell to the ground. Her hands gripped his coat so tightly as she whispered something into his ear.

Hiei, a bit shocked at being touched, was stiff. His arms twitched at his sides, not knowing what to do.

They raised themselves, ever so slowly.

Hiei Jaganshi returned the sweet embrace, closing his eyes.

"_Sister, do not cry over me."_

VIII

A/N: Did you like? Please review! Oh, and check out Signed, Anonymous. If you don't like it, then I am not pressuring you to review. If it intrigues you, drop a note! Thanks!

-mia

p.s. Was the emotion strong? I hope so.


	4. Day Before the Apocalypse

Marriage by Law : Day Before the Apocalypse

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Please, if you do read, leave a small note. It really doesn't matter to me if it's a flame or just saying that you liked it. Just any word would be nice. Thanks! Read and Review!

I

"Okay, I've got the vodka and the soda! Let's start this thing!"

Shizuru walked back out to the open courtyard in Genkai's temple. Her hips swayed as she began to pour the drinks, turning on the radio. Keiko hovered over her, watching with eager eyes at how to make such a concoction. Yukina wasn't interested in alcohol, her fair face flushed with the idea of what it would like to be drunk.

Botan, however, was beginning to warm up to the idea of getting completely smashed.

"Hey, Botan, what's with the long face?"

Yukina chirped. The ferry girl sighed and leaned her head back, stretching her legs out forward.

"I... I'm sorry Yukina, but I don't want to marry your brother."

The Ice Maiden smiled so sweetly it made one contemplate if she was an angel.

"No need to apologize." She stared off into the stars, a dreamy air about her. "My brother... he is not what you would call... affectionate." The music was some old Sinatra. "He's certainly not nice to the average person." Botan's lips twitched and she smiled faintly. "And don't even think of him as a soft soul." The ferry girl had a wide smile on her face, even though her eyes were beginning to water. "But... I'm sure that he will treat you with the upmost respect."

Botan's smile faded to half of a smirk.

"Yukina..." The ferry girl didn't want to say that she was _terrified _of Hiei, or that he had threatened to _kill _her on many occasions. She shouldn't even mention the nightmares that he gave her when she first met him. "You brother and I... we aren't even friends. It wouldn't be short of the truth if I told you that he hates me."

The Koorime's eyes flicked to meet Botan's.

"Hate?" Botan nodded. "No. Not at all." The Koorime had this small, almost secretive smile on her face. "I don't think that at all."

Shizuru and Keiko brought back the drinks, Sinatra still singing in the background.

"Drinks, everyone."

Botan took a Sprite and rum, while Yukina just took a plain Sprite.

"Cheers." Shizuru rose her glass, all the other girls following. "To a new beginning."

II

"Pass the chips, Kuwabara!"

"Piss off, Urameshi! I called them first!"

The two best friends proceeded to beat the stuffing out of each other. Kurama sighed and shook his head, lowering himself to the ground to sit beside his good companion, Hiei Jaganshi.

"How have you been?"

"Hn."

The fire demon's shoulders were tense as he glared at Kuwabara and Yusuke for making such a racket.

"What's wrong?"

**In CASE you haven't noticed, **_**fox, **_**I have to wed the **_**baka ferry onna**_** tomorrow. **

The kitsune sighed. _So he's still upset about that..._

**She's not **_**that **_**bad. **The fox nabbed a bag of chips. **Besides, it's better than... oh... I don't know... **_**Genkai.**_

Kurama didn't miss the slight shudder that ran through Hiei's body.

**Baka. **The fire demon and the fox began to eat the chips. **I'm thinking of killing the priest. **

The chips crunched softly while Yusuke began to put Kuwabara in the sleeper hold.

**Oh. **The fox continued to munch. **Why is that?**

Hiei let out a soft snicker as Yusuke was elbowed in the stomach. Hard.

**Without the priest, there is no wedding.**

A red eyebrow quirked.

**You do that.**

Hiei stopped eating.

**What, you don't think I will?**

The fox let his lips curl.

**I never said that.**

The telepathicconnection was ended. Kuwabara was panting on the floor, Yusuke next to him.

"I... get... the chips..."

The ex-detective rolled over and grabbed the crinkled bag. Kuwabara closed his eyes.

"Urameshi... why do we have to stay in your house... in your room?"

Yusuke massaged his temples.

"_**Because**_ the girls want to have a little party by themselves, so we have to have a party by ourselves." He pulled his hair. "They're probably getting drunk right now."

A long silence dawned on the age old friends. Kurama leaned back on the wall while Hiei remained still, his legs crossed and his back straight. Kuwabara flexed his legs and rolled up so he was sitting up, hunched over as he reached for some chips. That was when something dawned on Yusuke.

"Oh man... tomorrow night... is going to be our _wedding night._"

Kuwbara's face flushed and he lowered his gaze to the carpet under his feet. Kurama rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so crude."

Hiei, having observed Kuwbara's embarrassment, Yusuke's devilish chuckle, and Kurama's pensive silence, became curious.

"Hn. What's the big deal?" His voice was completely monotone and tenor. "It's just another night."

Kuwabara's face turned a deeper shade of scarlet. Yusuke howled manically, his feet hitting the floor. The fox's red eyebrows came close together, as if he were trying to solve a complicated puzzle. Before Kurama could open his mouth, however, the ex-detective shouted out the answers.

"Ha! Hiei, on your wedding night, you're supposed to have sex! With your bride!"

Hiei's face was impassive. Two seconds passed. Then it clicked.

"_**What? **_**SEX**_** with the baka onna?"**_

III

Botan sneezed.

"Bless you."

Yukina smiled as Botan blinked slowly.The Koorime touched Botan's shoulder.

"Achoo, achoo, somebody's thinking about you!"

Pink eyes widened when Botan realized that her own quote had been used against her.

"Funny, Yukina." She giggled softly. Her slender hand reached out and took her drink. She sipped it and sighed. "Ugh... I don't wanna go tomorrow."

Shizuru tried to smile for her favorite ferry girl, but she couldn't.

"I know, Botan. I know." She pulled out a cigarette. "There's nothing we can do about it."

The ferry girl looked up into the stars.

"There must be _**something**_." There was a long pause as Botan's mind was whirring with all sorts of ideas. Scenes from books and movies appeared in her head. "I got it!" The girls looked at her, seeing a confident and for once, happy smile on her face. "I could just say no."

Keiko tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

Botan waved her arms about, a new energy of hope in her blood.

"You know, the part when the priest is like, 'Do you take him to be your husband,'I could just say that I _don't_!"

The other girls exchanged worried and unimpressed looks.

"Yeah..." Keiko bit her lower lip. "Do you really think it's going to be that easy?"

The ferry girl's heart stopped for one... two beats.

"But... it should be... that's the one last thing that we have to agree to. I can always say no."

No one said anything.

"Right?"

IV

The uproar that commenced in the Urameshi household almost left it in cinders. First off, Hiei had the insane thought that he was going to be forced to have sex with the ferry girl. Second... thoughts of Kuwabara's red face and his sister... his beloved sister...

"_**No! I **_**refuse **_**to be involved in this twisted ritual!"**_

Kurama instantly grabbed Hiei and dug his heels into the carpet, keeping him from mauling the nigen.

"It's not true, Hiei!" Kurama almost ripped Hiei's cloak. "It's... it's not always... performed... on the wedding night."

Hiei glared back at his friend.

"Are you going to?"

In all the years that Hiei had known Kurama, he had never seen the fox blush so hard as he did then. The kitsune sputtered and his green eyes went wide. He didn't answer.

Just when things were about to get dirty, Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei all fell to the floor, clutching their ears. Kurama's eyes rolled back into his head. Yusuke opened his mouth.

"What the _**fuck **_is that?"

Hiei's knuckles were white, his grip on his katana so tight that it almost snapped it in two.

"I think I know."

V

Botan was out in the woods beyond Genkai's temple. She shivered as she tucked the silver whistle away into the folds of her kimono. Before she could even process a thought about if Hiei would come or not, he appeared in front of her, the smell of fire in the air.

"Baka. Ferry. Onna." His teeth were clenched and his fists were shaking. "Do not ever use that dreaded whistle again!"

The ferry girl was so astonished that Hiei appeared in a matter of seconds that she couldn't breathe for a few moments. Then she remembered why she wanted to contact him.

"I don't have telepathy, okay, so this was the next best thing!" Hiei glared at her silently. "I wanted to tell you something about tomorrow."

They both cringed at the thought of being married. Botan's arms clutched each other and she pulled at her sleeves. Hiei's lips twitched downward and his eyes sparked with the darkest of loathing.

"Hn. What do you have in mind?"

Her pink lips curled upwards.

"Well, how much do you know about getting married?" Hiei refused to answer, making Botan just a little bit more nervous. "Okay, well, there's this part when the priest asks one of us, I don't know which one comes first, if we will take each other as bride and groom."

Even Botan couldn't miss the twitch of Hiei's lips and the way his ears pricked.

"Go on."

Now the ferry girl was bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"I can say no."

Hiei raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

The ferry girl took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of herself.

"It barely happens during weddings, but when the priest asks you if you take this blah-blah person to be your wedded wife or husband, it's like the last chance to say no." His face didn't relax or change with satisfaction. "If one of us says _no_, then we won't be able to get _married._"

Hiei's mouth finally upturned into a smirk.

"Hn. It seems that you are not such a baka after all." Botan smiled in return. "And you're this will work?"

Botan paused for a few seconds.

"It has to." Her hands released her sleeves. "I mean, they can't... control out minds... so I should be able to say whatever I want." A bit of a silence. "Oh, and if the priest asks you first–"

"Onna, I will not hesitate to say no."

The ferry girl had to admit, deep down, it hurt. But just a little. Like a small sting when the doctor gives you a shot. It was nothing.

"Okay, good." She offered her hand. "To tomorrow."

Hiei looked at it, and took it, shaking it firmly.

"To the end of this hysteria."

VI

Koenma fussed with his tie. Yusuke mumbled under his breath as he combed his hair back. Kurama sprayed a bit of cologne on, under the wrists and on his neck. Kuwabara kept saying his vows over and over again.

Hiei just sat back and relaxed. He was trying to loosen his tie, but other than that, all was good in the word.

_Thank you, onna. _He closed his crimson eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, slouching in his chair. _And if your plan, for whatever reason, doesn't work... _His right hand brushed his katana, which was hidden under his tuxedo. _I always have my backup plan._

His train of thought was interrupted by the slightly nasal voice of the Prince of Hell.

"Hiei... you seem to be very calm about all of this."

The Koorime frowned.

"Hn. Whatever you say."

Kurama's green eyes strayed from the mirror.

**You know... if I was just another man who was getting married and not your best friend... I would say that you are **_**looking forward **_**to becoming Botan's husband.**

Hiei entire form bristled. His expression was similar to a cat that had just had water dumped on it.

**I am **_**not **_**looking forward to this!**

Kurama's eyes flashed with his cunning knowledge.

**I know. **Everyone was getting ready, and when they were done, all that was left was the ever growing anxiety of what was coming. Today was November fifteenth. **So, why are you so relaxed?**

Hiei got up from his chair, stilling leaning against wall.

**I **_**was **_**just trying to take my mind off of it... but since that is deemed **_**impossible **_**from anyone here–**

**Alright, alright. Calm down.**

The connection was broken just as George opened the door.

"Everyone, the ceremony is about to begin."

VII

Botan held out her arms as two ferry girls pulled on her dress. They were fixing the sheer ribbons that attached to her arms as another girl appeared and began to fix her makeup. Botan tried not to move as lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara were applied to her face.

"Hey, Botan?" Ayame spoke to her. Botan could only move her eyes. "You seem pretty calm." A short pause for breath. "You're not even nervous."

The little girl left Botan's face to allow her to speak.

"I'm nervous." She blinked, the silver that was smeared onto her eyelids sparkling. "I'm just trying not to think about it."

Koenma's assistant fell silent. She watched as the top ferry girl in Rekai never so much as twitched as the blush was applied. The ferry girl was made up to be beautiful. Saint-like. Divine.

Keiko was finished and Yukina was just about done. Shizuru insisted that she was not caked up in colors that only made her look plastic, so she was easy to handle.

All the girls were around Botan. They watched as she began to look like a doll. Her blush was perfect. The silver made her look like an angel from the moon. Her hair was down and two tall ferry girls were making the ends curl slightly.

Then, all at once, they were finished.

They stepped back, and allowed Botan to move.

The ferry girl opened her eyes, her pupils adjusting to the light.

It was done. The end was beginning.

She stood, her dress flowing about her. Her eyes were not sparkling, like the other girls. They held no love... no excitement... and definitely... no remorse.

Five women walked out and the music began to play. Ayame wrung her hands. Yukina noticed and took one of her hands into her own, squeezing it out of comfort.

"Are you ready?"

All eyes stared ahead at the door. Pink, brown, hazel, lavender, and light hazel. Never blinking. Botan's back was straight and her lips were pulled tight into an emotionless seal. Her fingers were manicured. Her skin was lathered in lotions. Her hair was shimmering. She stared through the white veil.

"Here it goes." All the girls joined hands. Keiko smiled, but it cracked. "Our big day."

Botan still said nothing as the doors opened, the music blaring right into her ears. One... two... three... four.

All of them stepped off on their left foot.

VIII

Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Koenma, and Kurama all stood as the organ began to groan away. There was a carpet, and the only witnesses was Yusuke's mother and Genkai. The church, which was a magnificent stone tower, was in it's prime. The morning light was shining through the stained glass windows and was giving it a holy feel to the entire occasion.

Hiei fidgeted. He glanced behind him. No priest. _What the hell is going on? Where is this priest?_

He just turned to stare at the door when it was opened. A procession of ferry girls from Rekai marched down the aisle. Hiei stared at them and then saw a certain blonde one. It was the onna who had brought him the certificate in the first place. Her eyes met his for a split second before darting away, as if in shame.

Then... the music changed.

And the women walked out.

The first two were Keiko and Yukina. Both looked beautiful, Yusuke's breath being let out slowly as he marveled at his soon to be bride. Kuwabara moaned softly, and Hiei was about to growl at the baka nigen when the two women turned and stood in front of their fiances. The next two were Shizuru and some woman that Hiei had seen around Rekai.

Hiei knew that Kurama was pleased with Shizuru's looks. She decided to go with a more natural approach, and Hiei thought that it suited her well. If she had been done up like the rest of the girls... she probably would not of have looked her finest.

The other woman blushed as she stood in front of Koenma. Hiei felt his eyebrows raise themselves. _So the brat was a victim of his own law. Fair enough._

He turned to see a lone figure slowly walking down the aisle. Ribbons around her arms, white veil in her hair. Hiei looked down at the inside of his tux. It was pale lavender. Just like the ribbons of her dress.

That was when he realized... that it was Botan. The baka ferry onna.

Her head lifted up. Her eyes stared into his. Her lips curled into a smile as she stopped in front of him.

It was then that the fire demon realized that his mouth was slightly open.

IX

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews! Please, if you read, review! Tell me if you liked this chapter or not. Oh, and sorry for not updating in a while. Marching band is intense this year and school is pretty hard core too. But don't worry, the Biography of Hiei and Botan is next. Thanks for the read!

-mia

p.s. Please give Signed Anonymous a chance. Even if you don't like it, tell me why so that maybe I can make it better.


	5. Vows

Marriage by Law : Vows

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I think that some readers think that Hiei is OOC, so I am going to fix that. Please read and review!

I

The ferry girl held her breath as she walked down the aisle. The dust that floated in the air held her attention more than the demon who was standing directly in front of her. Pink eyes floated up to the alter.

_Where is the priest?_

Just when her hope was beginning to brim, a loud bang made everyone except Hiei flinch. She could not look away when the smoke cleared, floating up to the high ceiling. There, playing the priest in this terrible fiasco, was Enma Himself.

Botan felt like her lungs had fallen asleep. Pins and needles prickled all over her insides. _Oh no..._

"We are gathered here today to see these people wed."

His voice boomed throughout the church. Botan's eyes jerked back so she could watch Hiei's face. His crimson eyes met her's, no smirk sliding onto his face this time. Her hands were stuck to the sides of her dress. Her fists clenched the frills of her dress, the sheer ribbons on her arms fluttering.

"With the love these people share, we gather here today to witness their union."

_Love? There isn't any love shared! _Botan screamed in her mind. She felt the air in the church move as Enma raised his hands.

"The rings?"

II

Hiei noticed the onna's face crinkle when the part about a 'love' being shared was mentioned. She looked like she had smelled something horrible. His blood red eyes skimmed over to the ogres who were in the seats. The audience to this twisted ceremony.

The ogre that lumbered towards them struck Hiei as familiar, unlike the others who were going to other couples. The demon remembered seeing this _**particular **_ogre in Rekai, shuffling after Koenma. He stopped and dug into his pockets. He pulled out a black box.

"George?"

The baka ferry onna whispered. The blue creature smiled, but it died quickly, like a flame in a downpour.

"Hi."

Hiei could tell that George did not want to be there. The ogre shifted as he fumbled with the box. He would not make eye contact with the onna or the fire demon. The box was opened, and two rings were inside.

Hiei blinked.

They were quite a spectacle. They were gold, but a band of silver twisted around the ring. The silver was a dragon. It had scales carved into it, very tiny marks. But something reflected in the grooves that caught the light in a strange way. And yet... that was not all. For the eyes of the beast, two sparkling rubies were used. Small, but they shimmered all the same.

"Take them. Put them on each other." George stared at his feet a the fire demon and the ferry girl took the rings. Hiei raised his eyebrows, looking at the ring. Inspecting it. "I thought you would like it."

Hiei said nothing, sliding the ring on the onna's finger. She returned the favor. In the back of his thoughts, the Koorime kept thinking of his katana and how it was so close to his side. There was no doubt in his mind that he would use it if necessary.

III

Botan barely had time to marvel at such a fantastic ring before Enma began speaking again.

"Do you, women of Rekai Tentei, take them, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

Here it was. The moment of truth. Botan stood up just a little straighter, her chin raised and her eyes blazing with pride. She fought the chilling notion that Enma's eyes were on her as she opened her mouth.

"I–" A veil of darkness fell over here eyes. Botan was alone, trapped in her own mind. "Do."

Her vision returned, but not her body. Panic began to flood her senses, but her arms would not move. Her legs did not buckle, permanently locked in place. Her mouth did not open and scream.

_Something is __**wrong**_

IV

Hiei's eyes shot open in a mixture of astonishment and anger. _Baka onna! What are you doing?_

That was when he realized what had just happened. She had been standing with a glow of rebellious pride in her. But, as soon as she opened her mouth, her face dropped. The same way a magician makes a dove disappear with his cape. Botan's words were not her own.

When she finished those binding words, her eyes were the only part of her that remained. They were wide and locked with his. They shook with terror. They jerked down and then up, widening further .

She couldn't move.

"And do you, Rekai Tentei, take these lovely women to be your wives, in sickness and in health, or as long as you both shall live?"

The onna's eyes watered, her chest freezing. She wasn't being allowed to breathe. Hiei's hand flew to his katana, gripping it and sliding it out of his sheath.

All went black.

"I do."

His katana fell to the floor.

V

Botan let the tears fall freely once Hiei's face smoothed over. He smiled as he doomed them both. The ferry girl wanted to shake him to his senses, but more than anything, she wanted to scream into the face of Enma Himself.

_How __**dare **__he control Hiei and I!_

She felt like she was gagged and tethered. Technically, she was. Hiei's sight returned, but Enma would never let him move them. He only let Hiei's gaze match her's.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife." More modest tears fell. "You may kiss the bride."

Hiei's hands didn't even tremble as he walked forward and cupped her face. His eyes, however, held daggers that were all waiting to strike Enma.

Hiei kissed her. Botan didn't even close her eyes like they did in the movies. What she would remember about her first kiss was the stone in the church. How her eyes stung with tears. How her heart pounded with the sense that her life was over.

When Hiei (or rather, when Enma allowed Hiei to) pulled back, she had stopped crying.

VI

Hiei wanted to squeeze his eyes shut. He never wanted to see what reflected back in those irises. Especially if it was held within the onna's.

It held the sorrow and self-hatred of a traitor. The rage that was directed at the world. At Enma, Koenma, and Hiei.

The way her cheeks glowed red with shame and embarrassment. How her spine was broken, slouching forward. She was released from Enma's grasp. She took in a deep breath and hid her face from him. Her lips were open, mouthing silent words.

"_Why? Why?"_ A deep breathe. _"I'm so sorry..."_

Hiei was then released. He took two steps backwards and turned so that his back was to her. He could not stand to see the ferry he knew as bubbly and energetic with a smile always graceing her face broken. Broken down like a tamed lion.

VII

Koenma sighed. His eyes closed as he massaged his temples.

"I don't see why you are so distressed." His father straightened his tie. "I think it went very well."

The Prince kept his eyes closed.

"You didn't see Botan... you didn't... cause that..."

VIII

Yukina and Botan walked to the reception. Yukina patted the ferry girl on the back.

"It's going to be okay." The ice maiden's eyes were soft and sympathetic. "It's not as bad as it seems.."

"N-no it's n-n-not!" She pulled the Koorime into a hallway, outside of the main hall. Botan sank to the floor. "I c-can't go o-o-o-o-out there!" Her hands rubbed at her eyes. Yukina took advantage of Botan's current state of weakness. "I l-let him d-d-down... I r-r-ruined b-both of our l-lives..."

The Koorime dragged her into the bathroom and took a paper towel, wetting it. She took Botan's chin into her thumb and forefinger and made her look into her hazel eyes.

"Look, it's over." Yukina wiped Botan's face, the cool water making Botan get control over her erratic breathing. "You and Hiei are married and that's it." Botan choked on a sob. "Even if... even if you don't fall in love with him... I am sure that the two of you will work out a compromise with each other."

Botan sighed, hiccuping a bit.

"That may be... but... I... I couldn't even say no..."

Yukina wiped the ferry girl's tears away with her thumbs.

"I'm sure he understands." She rested her forehead on Botan's. "Trust me, Hiei's really nice. He just... doesn't know he is yet."

That got Botan to laugh. It wasn't entirely happy, but... there was some merriment to it.

"T-thanks." She sighed. "What would I do without you?"

Yukina pulled back and stretched.

"I have no idea. But... I can guess... it would probably involve you getting drunk before the wedding."

The two girls laughed, Botan's face returning to a healthy pink color. They sauntered out of the bathroom, arm in arm, making their way to the main hall. The ferry girl didn't even shiver when the door opened, cool air washing over them.

IX

Hiei sat on a barstool in the main hall. He hadn't opened his mouth for about an hour. Right after the wedding. There was this pull in his chest, like a string pulling constantly downward. _This... wasn't supposed to happen. _

The fire demon wasn't the type to plan out his life to the T, but he knew what was going to happen. He was going to work for Mukuro until he died. Maybe she would let him rule. Or not. He was always going to be without a mate. It was that simple.

And it had all gone out the window.

"Hey." Kurama sat beside him. "You're awfully quiet."

The fire demon never looked his friend in the eyes. He just stared ahead.

**Hn. Go away.**

The fox frowned. He wanted to hear Hiei's voice out in the air. No in his head.

**How trite of you.** Hiei was hunched over. He looked like an old man. **You're acting like you've been sentenced to death.**

The fire demon's eyes flickered to the door. Botan walked in, her arm linked with his sister's. She had a smile on her face, but he didn't like it. It was not her usual happy grin. It did not suit her at all.

**I have ended both of our lives. She is going to be miserable and it's **_**my**_** fault.**

Kurama let that lie in the chasms of his mind for a few moments.

**I heard your katana fall. **He watched Shizuru and Keiko talk to each other. **You were really going to try and kill **_**Enma, **_**weren't you?**

**The moment it crossed my mind, my body was taken from me.**

Shizuru beckoned Kurama to dance with her. Yusuke was already dominating the dance floor with his new wife. The kitsune got up, dusting off his tux.

**Sorry. I've got to go.**

**Hn.**

Hiei watched as Kurama left him. Alone.

Kuwabara bounded over to Yukina like an energetic puppy would to it's master. Hiei didn't even let his finger twitch. He felt... empty almost.

No one noticed as his shadow flickered and vanished from sight.

X

Botan watched Yukina being dragged away by her husband. Everyone was dancing with someone. With a quick scan over the room, she could see that Hiei was gone. The ferry girl quickly snuck away, opening the doors to the balcony.

Goose-bumps jumped up all over her skin. With such frigid air, it was only natural for the sky to be clearer than glass. The stars sparkled, reminding her of what marbles would look like if someone pumped them with electricity.

She was under a flickering lamp. She held up her left hand and gazed at the ring, its cool metal stinging her skin. It was then that she realized just how beautiful her wedding ring really was.

The scales of the silver dragon had flecks of _opals_ in them. She _loved _opals, especially how they caught the light, sending out different sparks of colors. Her shoulders sagged as she sat out in the cold, alone.

"Maybe it wasn't that bad after all."

Her breath puffed out in clouds. She had the smallest of smiles gracing her face as she stared at the magnificent ring. She summoned her oar and gathered up her dress. If she flew too fast, it would fall apart, leaving her more cold than she stared out to be.

_It won't be bad taking the long way home..._

The ferry girl mounted the oar, slowly rising into the air. She stared at the lights of Japan as she began to cross over country after country. The ribbons danced in the wind as she finally spotted London lights.

Her hair had bits of ice caught in it, even her eyelashes had frost on the tips.

She sneezed as she began her descent.

XI

"So, is it mandatory to have sex tonight?"

Kurama's eyes widened at such a blunt question as he danced with Shizuru. He hadn't been expecting that. Before he could answer, Koenma and Ayame appeared beside them.

"It isn't." He sighed as Ayame kissed his cheek. "I'm not a total beast."

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"Psh! Who cares? Carry out tradition!"

He pushed Koenma into Ayame, making the Prince flush with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Yukina turned to Kuwabara.

"Kazuma, what is he talking about?"

The nigen turned into a stammering tomato, Yukina patiently waiting for an answer.

"Uh... Yusuke is just b-being stupid, t-that's all."

XII

Hiei had no where to go. He wandered the streets of Japan, knowing that he couldn't go back to Makai. Mukuro wouldn't believe his turn of fate. It would just make his headache worse. He looked up, and as soon as his eyes focused, thought he was hallucinating.

The onna just flew across the sky. At about, he was just guessing but... fifty to sixty miles her hour. Hiei shook himself. He had to be dreaming. But no, there she was, already way ahead of him.

Convincing himself that it was only because he had nothing better to do, Hiei followed her. Across seas and rivers, running over the water. He stopped, only once, to cut off the coat of his tuxedo and to put on his coat. So there, he went, flying across the countryside right underneath his wife, his scarf flying out behind him.

He found himself at the same little cottage he had seen her in before. She landed, still in that stunning dress. She didn't look real. The way she fell from her oar, fumbling for something under the carpet, she looked like a princess or a fairy.

He watched as she stopped and leaned against the door, swaying. Her knees bent, and the folds of her dress swallowed her up as she sank to the ground. Hiei rolled his eyes. _Baka onna, haven't you cried enough?_

But she didn't get up. Five minutes went by, and she still sat there, the only things moving happened to be the ribbons on her dress. Hiei frowned.

He marched up to the door, coming out of the shadows.

"Onna, you better not be playing some trick on me."

The Koorime fell silent when he saw that her eyes were closed. No. They were... frozen shut. If you asked him now, Hiei would not be able to tell how long he hadn't breathed. He just stood there, like an inebriant. He shook himself and gathered the ferry girl into his arms, dress and all.

He grunted as he grasped the door knob, shooting it with demonic energy. It opened, slowly, and Hiei marched inside, like a solider holding a dead body. He kicked the door shut behind him.

The cottage was freezing. The onna hadn't been in it since... since... about two weeks ago. He could tell by the fact that her scent was very faint. Hiei found his way to her bedroom, pulling back the covers of a quaint queen sized bed.

He placed the onna on it, and then remembered about her eyes. His hand moved over her face. With a pulse of his demonic heat, the ice had melted and evaporated into the air. He swore that she smiled, but it could have been a trick of the light.

He pulled the blankets back over her and stepped back. She turned over and curled up, just like a child would. He shot heat into the bed, and her entire body seemed to sigh with contentment.

Hiei Jaganshi turned and left her, closing the door behind him. He went to the fireplace and snapped his fingers, a fire springing up instantly. He let out a breath that he just realized he had been holding. He stepped backwards into a chair, falling into it.

His eyes were closed before he could realize he was tired.

XIII

A/N: Wow. So sorry that it has taken me so long to update. School really is tough junior year! Plus, I have to write a screenplay for creative writing class, and it's really sweet and has taken up a lot of my time. Anyways, I hope you like this one. I tried to put emotion into it, so what I want to know is if it is convincing and if Hiei is OOC (because I **don't **want him to be lol).

-mia


	6. Fever

Marriage by Law : Fever

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Please, if you read, review. I would love to know what all of you think. Also, if you like this, then you guys would love Incurable. Check it out! Read and Review!

I

If Botan's eyes had been open, she was sure that she was being spun around in a circle. Even with her eyes shut, she could feel that she was dizzy. Her muscles clenched as she burrowed deeper into the sheets, inhaling their woodsy scent.

_Wait... sheets...?_

The ferry girl opened her eyes, squinting. She remembered making it to the door... but she never opened it. _I must have blacked out. _Botan sighed as she let herself sink back into the bed. She could not remember a time when her sheets were so warm and inviting. It took her mind off the fact that she had mysteriously appeared inside her own house.

She lay with her eyes open, staring at the window in her room. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in her room, she saw that there was a frost outside. It sparkled in the soft morning light like diamonds on display.

The ferry girl yawned, slowly gathering her wits to bring herself onto her feet and into the cold temperatures of the morning. Closing her eyes, Botan threw back the sheets, wincing as she anticipated the stinging iciness of the air.

Pink eyes opened to a warm house. A steamy house.

_What the...?_

Bare feet hit the floor, the ferry girl frowning as she tried to blink her sleepiness away. She actually had gotten... a good nights sleep. She had no idea what had happened, or why she slept for so long... but she was ready to thank whoever was responsible.

She swung her bedroom door open.

Her pink eyes quickly became glued to a chair that was in front of a roaring fire. She couldn't see the person's head, but she did see the hand that dangled off of the chair's arm. As Botan slowly approached, she saw the glint of sliver shimmering at the ring finger.

The ferry girl couldn't help but have a small and mischievous smile on her face as she tip toed around the chair.

Sure enough, Hiei Jaganshi was slumped in it, his eyes closed. His face was relaxed with slumber, his chest slowly rising and falling. Botan let her lips fully curl as he shifted slightly in his sleep, his head twitching.

Moving with grace, the ferry girl opened a drawer, pulling out a quilt. She draped it softly over the fire demon, then shuffling back into her room to get out of her dress. She unhooked it at the back, the zipper hissing as she just let the dress fall off of her. She pulled on sweat-pants and a long sleeved flannel shirt.

It struck her as she moved back out into the living room that she would enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate.

II

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

Hiei's nose wrinkled when he smelled a mixture of strawberries and chocolate. The Koorime's eyes cracked open. He found himself staring at his own fire that was growling with life. He also... was... covered in blanket?

He unfolded his legs and arms, stretching as he bit down a yawn. _How long was I out? Six, seven hours? _He rubbed his eyes absentmindedly. _I haven't slept so much since... wait... I never have. _He pinched the bridge of his nose, jumping when he heard a voice.

"Oh. You're finally awake."

Hiei tried to stop his hands from jerking as his instinct screamed at him to grab his katana. He had to hold down the urge as he looked at the ferry onna with bored eyes.

"Hn."

His eyes slid down to her hand that was gripping a steaming cup. Her ring was still on her finger. What he Hiei had prayed was a nightmare was his sad and dismal reality. Just as he began to slide into his self-loathsome depression, he realized that the baka onna had been talking to him.

"What, onna?"

Her pink eyes lowered for a flickering instant. It was almost unnoticeable. _Almost. _

"Do you want some cocoa? It's fresh and hot." Her voice was... not very perky. Or hyper. In fact... it wasn't that happy at all. Sure, she had a smile on her face, but... Hiei could tell that there was nothing behind her voice. No promise of a true smile. "I'll just leave it here..."

She placed the cup on a side table and quickly shuffled back into the kitchen. Hiei waited until she had been gone for ten whole seconds before he quickly ripped the blanket off of him. With a warrior's precision, he shook it out and folded it, draping it over the back of the chair.

_Ugh... Why does it feel like I've slept for about three years?_

Hiei cracked his neck and back, slowly approaching the steaming cup. He touched the hot porcelain, but refused to drink it. Not yet. Instead, he poked his head around the door. He watched as Botan sat down at the kitchen table, her head back and her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell in slow rhythm.

He entered the kitchen, his legs locking up as he tried not to just turn and run out the front door. He knew... deep down Hiei Jaganshi knew that he was going to have to face his... his _**wife.**_

"Hn." She cracked open one eye to see him leaning against the marble counter, holding his cup of cocoa. "Baka onna."

III

Kazuma Kuwabara grunted as he kicked open the door to the hotel wedding suite. In his arms was a sleeping Yukina, her lips open and as she exhaled slowly on his neck. The nigen shivered, trying hard not to lose control and drop her.

_She's wiped..._

Yukina had been determined to not fall asleep, saying that she wanted to see what happened on a wedding night. Kuwabara had an onslaught of emotions when she said that. Lust, excitement, happiness... the works. But then the thought of that she was Hiei's sister struck him... and he realized... the shrimp would be on him like a bear after its cub. Even as his heart raced, a sense of doom loomed over his head.

When he had been driving, she fell asleep almost instantly. He picked her up, holding her close. He avoided the smiles and 'aw' sounds that came from the women in the hotel.

And that was how he found himself sitting on the king sized bed, the sheets as smooth as water, watching Yukina sleep. He pulled the blankets up and over her, backing away when he finished.

_How could I be this lucky? Stuff like this... never happens to me..._

He pulled off his pants and shirt, kicking off his shoes. He yawned rubbed at his eyes. Before this... he had only been on dates with Yukina. They had kissed once, not including the wedding, and it had been a quick peck that left them both blushing and speechless.

He slipped into the bed, his eyes closing, the image of a serene Yukina fresh on his mind. His lips curved when he heard her let out a low moan, snuggling closer to his body heat.

IV

"What?"

Botan stood, her eyes locked on Hiei. She blinked slowly as Hiei sniffed the steaming liquid in his cup.

"You were unconscious last night." Botan tilted her head to the side. "I brought you inside."

The ferry girl didn't know what to say. She didn't smile. For a moment, she almost felt embarrassed that Hiei had seen her in such a weak and pathetic state. Her pink eyes moved to her hot cocoa, staring at the swirls of brown.

"Thank you."

"Hn."

Husband and wife. It made no sense to her. It was against all logic to marry Hiei and Botan. If he didn't kill her, he would just leave her alone. That's how it was going to be. _So... really... I'm married to no one. I have a ring, but nothing to show for it. _Botan sipped her cocoa. _Well that's fine with me. _

"I... I just want to say..." Botan took a deep breath, still not looking at her husband. "I want to say that I'm sorry. If I could have done anything... I would have." She couldn't cry. Botan felt as if she had cried so much... for months and sleepless nights... that she was unable to cry anymore. "If you need anything, want me to do anything... just ask."

Hiei sipped his drink. He frowned and remembered seeing the onna do something. He took a breath and began to blow on the cocoa.

"I'll stay." Botan gazed up into the Koorime's red eyes. "Tonight. I'll stay."

Botan nodded slowly. Hiei drank the hot chocolate. Even the ferry girl caught the surprised flicker that crossed his face. _He likes it. _

"There's a clearing with some trees out back." The ferry girl pointed out the window to a cluster of trees. "You can train there, if you want."

"Hn."

Botan watched as he turned around. He drank the cocoa again as he walked out, picking up his katana on the way out.

V

Kurama and Shizuru just went back to Kurama's house.

"I take it we aren't going to have sex."

The fox stiffened, gazing at Kuwbara's sister with wide eyes. She laughed at his expression, leaning on the counter-top in his kitchen. Kurama shook his head.

"Very funny." He watched as Shizuru sighed and smiled, looking out of the window. "What is it?"

She wrinkled her nose.

"I'm just thinking about Botan." Kurama waited for his wife to continue. "She's with Hiei now... but... even if they are married by law... they never will be... by heart."

The fox was silent for a few moment.

"You are right, in a sense." The kitsune paused, walking over to Shizuru slowly. "But... even if they do not love each other doesn't mean that they will be miserable." He closed one eyes, as if he was straining his brain to try and find the right words. "Call me crazy, but... Hiei and Botan would probably make great companions."

Shizuru frowned for a long pause.

"Then your new name is Crazy." She tried to work up a chuckle, but she had heard the hopeless sobs coming from the ferry girl and Kurama hadn't. "I hope it does, because I _never_ want to see Botan cry like that every again."

VI

Hiei went outside and into the forest, but he did not train. He searched hills for mushrooms, berries, and leaves and stems of plants. He had finished his drink and had left the cup out in the valley. The fire demon frowned as he scraped some moss off of the trunk of a tree.

_No... this will not work._

His eyes scrutinized the forest floor. He finally found it. The leaves of a semi-rare weed that grew at the base and on branches of trees. Hiei took out his katana and sliced the weeds apart. He grabbed at the leaves as a smirk of satisfaction graced his lips. _Perfect. _

It would take only three days. Three days to get rid of the baka ferry onna's fever. Hiei had sensed that there was something wrong with her, and not just the fact that she had been hastily married to him the day before.

Hiei quickly found two rocks and he hurried back out to the valley to retrieve his cup. He sat down on the grass, hidden in from the house, nestled in the hills. He placed the leaves on the one rock. Hiei's blood red eyes narrowed as he took the other stone. With a soft grunt, he slammed it down, hard, onto the leaves.

_Mukuro was right, knowing healing plants for the Three Worlds is useful. _Hiei grinded the leaves together, draining the juice into the onna's cup. He was focused and determined. _Baka... knowing her, she would die from a simple cold..._

Hiei flinched as the rock he was holding shattered into a myriad of pieces. His hands were shaking, and for the love of Kami, had no idea why. He tired to get them to stop... but it was impossible. His heart had raced for just a few seconds, but it was enough to confuse and frighten the short fire demon.

_What the–_

He threw the rock away from him as if it had stung him. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. It took an entirety of fifteen minutes for him to stop gasping for breath and his heart to stop pounding.

He looked at the liquid, and convinced himself that the only reason for his sudden emotional break was that it must have been a side effect from the fumes. He picked up the glass and shook himself. Hiei Jaganshi began to move back to the house, holding the cup with a steady hand.

He opened the door and slipped inside.

"That was quick." Her voice now called from another room. Hiei found it quickly, and his eyes slowly widened with he saw it was a quaint study, filled to the brim with books. "Did you find an okay space?"

She put a book down and looked at her silent companion. His face never let a ripple cross it as he put his plan into action.

"I'd like to... share some more... cocoa with... you."

Hiei winced inwardly. Even the ferry onna raised her blue eyebrows, half of a smile on her face.

"Okay... hold on..."

She got up and quickly went to the kitchen pouring her glass and then his. She was about to pick up her glass when Hiei activated his Jagan Eye.

Her eyes glazed over for a split second.

"Hold on. I'll be right back." She smiled and rolled her eyes. "It's probably Yukina or Keiko."

Hiei watched her as she hurried out of the room, answering the phone that never rung. He deactivated his Jagan and quickly switched the glasses. He then shot a bit of demonic heat into his old cup, so that the juice from the leaves would be evenly distributed.

_She won't even taste it. _

VII

Yusuke had this weird paranoia about sleep. He could not fall unconscious if there was someone else awake. Strange, but yes. But... that was not a problem tonight.

Keiko lay next to him, naked and flushed. She was sleeping, relaxed and content from their previous activities. His arm held her tightly against him, his demonic blood wanting to wake her up for another round, but he calmed himself.

As his brown eyes drifted shut, he wondered about his good pal Hiei. He was positive that him and Botan were not having sex at the moment. Positive. The image itself made him want to cringe and laugh at the same time.

_One can only hope for a pair like them. _

VIII

Hiei drank the hot chocolate with Botan, his eyes never leaving hers. It made her a bit nervous, but she would have to deal with it for now. She downed the whole thing so fast that she felt like a pig. _Stupid Hiei... making me nervous. _

As soon as she was done, he snapped his vision away from her.

"I'm going back out to train."

Botan nodded. She came to the realization that she would never be able to figure him out.

"Fine. I'm going to go out shopping in town. Just for some food." She smiled slightly, but true happiness was not behind her lips. "Kurama... mentioned that you like chicken... and ice cream..."

The silence that followed was not awkward. It was more than awkward. It was horrible. Hiei could not believe or accept the fact that she was trying to adapt to his tastes and preferences. Botan, on the other hand, was trying to not lose it and just break down in a fit of anger and tears for everything. For Koenma making the Marriage Law, for herself for failing Hiei, and at Enma for making Hiei _**kiss**_ her against his own will.

Botan got up quickly and bowed her head, hurrying down the dirt road. It was short walk to the local market. She needed some air.

The ferry girl came to the quaint town, talking with the locals. To her delight, not one of them commented or noticed the new ring around her finger. She bought some strips of chicken and a quart of strawberry ice cream.

It was getting dark when she began to head back home. She blinked. _How could this happen? _Each step she took was a strain on her very being. _I just wanted... I just wanted to... _She couldn't even finish her own thoughts.

That was why when three men stepped into her path, she didn't even see them until they knocked her down. They began to laugh, and the situation only sank in when one of them grabbed at her shirt, a knife at her throat and alcohol on his breath.

_Oh my God. _Tears of fear sprung up into her eyes as he began to cut away at her shirt. She was paralyzed. Something needed to happen. Someone needed to help her. _They... they are going to rape me..._

IX

A/N: Sorry that I left it off there. Botan is still in shock from the wedding, and this new situation is bound to not help. Review if you want to hear more! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

-mia


	7. Adrenalin

Marriage by Law : Adrenalin

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. My stats and stories page is not working on my laptop, so I have to find alternate computers for the time being. I'm sorry that it took a while, but here it is. Please Read and Review.

I

For a moment, Botan was unable to move. Time had frozen. Their gruesome faces chiseled by the light of the moon. Fogs of breath hovered in the air, still forever. For a moment everyone's heart stopped.

Botan fell, shuffling on the ground backwards, her foot snapping twigs and pebbles on the forest floor.

Time began.

With a practiced wave, Botan summoned her oar.

She gripped it tightly, her wedding ring caught in the moonlight as she stood up. The ruby and silver gleamed. Botan glared at the three men, squeezing her oar so hard that her knuckles were white. Her hands slid into a batting grip. _I'm not weak. _Her sneakers crackled against the gravel. _The wife of Hiei Jaganshi is __not__ weak!_

"You have one minute to get away. To walk away and leave me alone."

The three men laughed, alcohol gargling in the backs of their throats. Pink eyes that had once bubbled merrily in the past were colder than steel. The cool breeze lifted her hair. Her eyelids lowered slightly, and she came to a realization. _I'm alone. No one is going to help me. Not this time._

One of the men began to move, and the ferry girl no longer felt fear. Instead, she felt rage, and maybe even a bit of pity as she brought down the oar down hard onto his skull.

II

Hiei frowned as he gazed out the window. The trees groaned in the wind, shifting direction. The dark sky had a red streak slashing across it. The demon narrowed his eyes.

_Red... blood is about to be spilt. _

III

Botan was on a roll. She wasn't weak! She was strong, diligent, and Enma be damned if she wasn't going to take care of herself! She swung her oar like it was a knight's sword. Her heart pounded, a feeling of independence washing over her.

_I don't need help! I can take care of myself!_

That was when one of the men grabbed at her ankle. Another, at her oar. The ferry girl hesitated, flinching. It was all they needed to take her. As they pulled her down, her oar clattering to the ground, disappearing, Botan began to cry.

Her subconscious was still functioning, and as hands began to crawl up her trembling legs, her hand dug into her shirt. As fists ripped at her shirt, her lips were already sealed around the silver whistle. Just when her bra was about to be grabbed, she blew.

IV

Hiei sat in a kitchen chair. A clock ticked on the wall. He never noticed how loud nigen clocks were. How could the baka ferry onna stand it? Just when the Koorime was about to rip the clock off of the wall, another more shrieking sound stabbed his ears.

Her whistle.

That annoying whistle.

He bristled, eyebrow twitching. But then, as quickly as it started, the whistle died. This made Hiei wonder. The onna did not just blow her infernal whistle shortly. Not when she was looking for him. It was along, painful, and drawn out. Hiei couldn't grasp the concept. Why would Botan stop short? It didn't make sense.

The kitchen was dim. The light flickered, and when it stopped, Hiei Jaganshi was gone.

As the fire demon raced through the forest, he wondered if he had lost his mind. _This is insane!_ He soared above the branches, the wind filling his lungs. _The onna can take care of herself! _He stopped when he realized that he was close. _She is not __completely__ helpless. _

He dropped to the ground.

What he saw... did not comprehend in his brain.

The onna... his _wife_ was... she was blocked from his vision. The Forbidden Child... he saw three nigen males... on top of her. Touching her. Grabbing at her clothing.

For those few breath-taking moments, Hiei was helpless. He was frozen. All of his muscles shut down as his mind raced.

It was when he heard his wife cry out, getting smothered, that he was able to move, one step at a time.

He reached for the one man that was closest to him. As soon as his fingers closed around the collar of his jacket... his vision ceased functioning. All he could see was red.

V

Botan tried to get them off of her by sending out bursts of spirit energy. However, as Yusuke as well as Genkai knew, harnessing one's ki takes concentration and precision. The ferry girl found it impossible to keep one thought in her head for more than two seconds. Fingers unbuttoned her pants. Her bra was being slashed off of her shoulders, red makes and droplets of blood left behind.

Her energy began to dwindle, along with her hope. The whistle had fallen from her lips, lost in the dirt somewhere. She cried out as her jeans were yanked down her legs.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._ Panting filled her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, her limbs jerking as she tried to fight. Her voice died, coming out in dry whispers. _Sex... isn't supposed to be... like this..._

Just when she was about to give up entirely, a weight on her chest was suddenly gone. The man's hands from her breasts had been taken away.

_Swish_.

Now the fingers that had been gripping at her panties had been removed.

A breath of wind.

The cruel and greasy laughter ceased. All three of them... had disappeared. Vanished. Like ghosts. The ferry girl sighed, not moving.

It was only when a shrill scream echoed near her that Botan's pink eyes flew open.

Everything was fuzzy at first. The branches of the trees, the stars, everything. She sat up slowly. Her hands were not even shaking now. They came up to her face, touching it. Shiny wet trails streaked down her cheeks. They had been made by tears she didn't even remember shedding.

Another shriek got her attention.

She rubbed at her eyes, looking over to the left.

What started off as rapidly moving blobs became one defined body over three. She blinked. Hiei... Hiei had a man's arms in his hands, twisted so they were behind him. Botan's mind was still foggy, like a slow and lazy river. She could hear their distant voices.

"Puh..." Hiei lifted his leg and pressed it to the man's back. "P-P-Puh-lease..."

Mucus weighed down the man's voice. Fat tears pouring down his face. Hiei's foot shot forward, causing the sounds of snapping muscles and popping bones to fill Botan's ears.

"Did she cry?"

The ferry girl went cold as more sickening sounds filled the sky, the cries of the nigen men flying through the air. Botan shakily stood, only clad in her white underwear.

"She cried. I see it. In your mind."

_Hiei... _Botan had seen him be cold before... but he was scary now. The way he spoke to the three men... it was like he really and truly loathed them. When he spoke to them... it made Kuwabara seem like Hiei's best friend.

"You enjoyed it. To see the onna cry."

Hiei tugged one of the man's arms back, causing another bone-chilling scream. The fire demon dropped the limp, dislocated, and broken arm, the other still in his hand.

"Her tears... they fueled your lust."

He repeated the action with the other arm. Grunting, he spun the man around so he could look into his eyes.

"You are less than nothing."

Botan began to walk, staggering over.

"You don't even deserve one _breath _of life."

Hiei grabbed the man's face. He squeezed his cheeks between his sharp nails. The man's eyes were red and puffy. Botan saw the other two writhing on the ground, as if tormented by an unseen beast. That was when it clicked. Hiei was using his Jagan Eye. He was torturing them in their own minds.

"You are _nothing._"

Hiei hissed out the last word, and Botan's heart jumped in her chest. Without really thinking about it, the ferry girl shot forward and wrapped her arms around Hiei's waist, hugging him. She felt him jerk and become rigid.

"Hiei." His head turned a bit, so that his ear was close to her lips. "Please... stop... they have... been through enough..."

His fingers were still squeezing the man's jaws.

"Onna... they–"

"I know."

VI

Hiei came to. He saw that he was _touching _the nigen scum. He was staring into his ugly puffy face. The fire demon looked down and saw two pale hands pressing themselves to his chest. The onna's body was up against him.

He realized... that he had completely lost control. He jerked his hand away from the human's face as though he had been burned. He wiped the slime off on his pant leg.

_The nigen race... they are all bakas!_

Hiei was shaking. His body called to him. Telling him to finish off all of them off. To kill everyone of them slowly. Tearing them to shreds for even _considering_ to go through with the heinous act that he almost was too late to stopping.

"H-Hiei... I wanna go home."

His wife's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and into the present. He felt her bare flesh, and knew that she was barely clothed, if at all. Without turning around to face her, Hiei began to take off his overcoat. He removed it, as if he was making sure that he didn't startle her.

"Hn. Here, onna. Take it."

He held out his black overcoat, and he felt her take it. Hiei closed his eyes, his Jagan deactivating. He felt a light tap on his shoulder.

He opened his eyes, turning to see the ferry onna's face. Her pink eyes were shimmering, but he knew that she would not cry. Not now. Maybe not for a long while. Her cheeks were pale, and he saw that tremors continued to run through her body.

"T-thank you."

She hugged his jacket around her tightly. Her blue hair had twigs and pebbles in it. There was blood smeared on her cheek, but she still tried to smile. _For me. _

"Hn. It was nothing."

He led her, her legs still shuddering. She held onto him, until he found it too bothersome. That was when he picked her up, carrying her bridal style. Hiei felt her gasp a bit, her grip on his shoulders tightening.

They were both silent, and it might have occurred to Hiei that this was one of the few times that he had ever seen the onna so quiet, but now was not the time for snide comments. All Hiei wanted to do was get her home safe.

After Hiei got Botan into her house, he snapped his fingers, a fire starting. He never said a word as he sat her down on the couch, tossing a blanket over her, and stalking off to the kitchen.

_I must be going mad. _Hiei kept on repeating this to himself, but every time he did, horrible images would barrage his mind. Images of the onna lying the ground. The men on her... violating her. Hurting her. Cutting her. Beating her. _The world has gone mad._

The infamous thief opened the refrigerator. He squinted, quickly closing the door, not satisfied with the contents. He pulled open drawers and cupboards until he found what he needed. Herbs. Dried stems, fruits, and vegetables. Sure, the onna probably wasn't planning on using them for Hiei's method of "cooking", but it was better than nothing.

"Hiei? What are you doing?" The fire demon rolled his eyes and didn't answer, trying to call up ancient memories. "If you don't answer me then I'm coming in!"

That was all Botan needed to do. Hiei immediately spoke up.

"Just keep still, baka onna. You're going to injure yourself."

He heard some muttering in the other room, something about a _short tempered demon _made its way to his ears. He smirked a bit... but not really. It was not a true smirk... not after what had just happened. Hiei closed his eyes, his Jagan flickering to life once more.

**Kurama?**

VII

Kurama and Shizuru slept in the same bed, but not... _together._ The day ran normally enough after their "wedding night". The fox tended to his garden as Shizuru went to work at her job in the city. It was after nine o'clock, after dinner and when Shizuru was starting to nod off on the couch when Hiei contacted him.

**Kurama? I need your assistance.**

The fox frowned, his eyes glazing over as he began to answer.

**I'm here. What do you need, Hiei?**

There was a pause on the other end.

**I have potential ingredients for a salve. A healing salve. I forget how to make it, so you need to tell me. **

That was Hiei Jaganshi for you. Blunt and to the point with unanswered questions.

**Sure. What do you have?**

There was another short pause before an image slowly appeared before Kurama's eyes. It was a cutting board with various herbs, plants, flowers, and food laid out across it. Hiei was indoors and inside a kitchen. And he wanted to make a powerful healing salve.

**This is it.**

Kurama frowned, eyeing all of his options.

**Take the herb on the far right and grind it into a fine poweder. **He saw Hiei's hands move and begin to follow his orders. **The petals to the purple flower can be boiled. The water that is left after the petals shrivel up can be used as the base of the salve. **Hiei ripped the petals off of the flower, tossing them into a pot and pouring water into it. Without even touching the stove, a controlled fire appeared under the pot. **Where exactly are you, Hiei?**

The fire demon hesitated in his grinding for a short moment.

**The onna's house.**

Kurama was silent for a while.

**The orange fruit's seeds can be used. **They were extracted with Hiei's claws. **The roots of that vegetable must be diced evenly. **The Koorime followed Kurama's orders to a T, not to mention fast too. **Why are you at Botan's house?**

The fire demon scooped the petals out.

**None of your business fox. Now what?**

One again, the fox bit his tongue, fighting down the urge to get the information out of his short friend.

**Drop the seeds in, one at a time. **Kurama stretched. **Come on, Hiei, you would never voluntarily be over at Botan's house. **

**Didn't I tell you to drop the matter, kitsune, or are your ears failing too?**

_Ouch._

**Now take half of the grinded herb and sprinkle it into the pot. **Shizuru was beginning to look at him. **Is she hurt?**

**Fox, I swear to Enma–**

**Take the roots and put them in. Stir it counterclockwise eleven times. **His wife began to rub her eyes, sitting up. **If Botan's in trouble, Hiei, I think I deserve to know.**

Kurama suddenly hissed, almost losing the mind link. He looked at his hands and saw that they had been slightly burnt.

_**Stay out of it.**_

The kitsune admitted defeat.

**Toss the other half of the grinded herbs into the fire that heats the solution. All you have to do is wait for about forty-five seconds, and the salve is done. **

Hiei went through with the task.

**Hn. **

The mind link was promptly shut.

VIII

Botan sat on the couch listening to the fire snap. Her body was weak. Tired. Fatigued. Her mind, however, was wired, panicky, and terrified of the thought of sleeping alone. Her hands pulled the blanket closer to her.

_My heart still hasn't stopped racing. _Never... in a million years had Botan thought that she would ever be in a situation where... where she had almost gotten raped. Or where Hiei would come and rescue her. _I don't know what was scarier... the three men... or the sounds they made once Hiei got a hold of them..._

"Onna."

Botan jumped, startled. She looked up to see Hiei standing over her. In his hand was one of her jars... and inside was a nasty looking green paste.

"Hiei?"

The demon sat down. His eyes... there was something in them that struck the ferry girl as sweet... but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Will you... show me where they... hurt you?"

His voice never got soft or overly sympathetic. It was still stone cold. Some women might have hated that trait, but right now Botan was grateful for it.

"What are you going to do?"

For a flash, Hiei's eyes flickered away from her's.

"This is very powerful salve. Kurama passed down the recipe to me."

Maybe if it was a different time, a different place, and under different circumstances, Botan might have politely told Hiei no. But... there was something about the gesture. Hiei had rarely been nice to her... and this was probably as good as it was going to get. He wasn't perverted. He was a warrior that had aided the Rekai Tentei in saving the world. He was one of the most powerful demons that she knew. He could kill anyone in a heartbeat, but had a very closed off soft side for his sister Yukina.

He was Hiei Jaganshi, and deep down at that moment, Botan knew that she wanted to be his friend.

"Yes. T-thank you."

IX

Hiei quickly unscrewed the cap, swiping some paste out onto his fingers. As he concentrated on his fingers, he heard the onna slowly take off his jacket. The fire demon looked at her body. Almost instantly, heat flared from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

Scratches, cuts, and bruises were tossed on her body like freckles on a child's cheek. He started at her neck. There were cuts on her shoulders from the knife that was used to remove her... undergarment.

_It would have gotten infected. _His fingers grazed over her skin. There were bruises on her back, and Hiei simply spread the paste out over the places that made her arch up into him, hissing.

His crimson eyes narrowed. Her upper chest had large hand prints. Red finger marks and scratches were on her breasts. For the first time in the procedure... Hiei paused. _It's just the onna. _She didn't seem to notice his hesitation. _She's just the baka ferry onna. She means nothing. This means nothing. _

_Then why did you black out when you saw what was going to happen to her?_

As if to prove his subconscious wrong, Hiei's hands shot forward and began to apply the paste to her chest, moving softly and gently. On the inside, however, he was shaking. _This is just an act of... of repentance. The baka ferry onna is not attractive at all. _

She moaned slightly when he hit a bruise on her hip with his wrist. He quickly applied salve to her stomach. Then to her long creamy legs.

_She's too cheery. _Her legs were still shaking a bit. As if on impulse, Hiei's thumb began to move in circles on her knee. _She smiles to much. _She stopped trembling. It almost brought a smile to the Forbidden Child's face. _Her body has no affect on me whatsoever. No woman will ever affect me. _

Her eyes were closed, the only light in the room made by the flickering light of the fire.

_Then why are you blushing?_

X

A/N: Please review! Did you like the ending to this chapter (not the end of the story, don't worry)? I hope so! I did. Please excuse the long wait. It's been hard to get to a computer. Anyway, was Hiei In Character or was he OCC (please dear God no). I would love to hear all of your opinions on this chapter!

-mia

p.s. In section IV, did you get the feeling that Hiei was worrying about Botan? That was what I was going for. Thanks!


	8. Bliss

Marriage by Law : Bliss

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I really do love them. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I've been distracted with the holidays and such. I even got an idea for a book that I'm thinking of writing, but I digress... Please Read and Review!

I

Kurama laid in bed. His wife was beside him, both of them blinking slowly as sleep was about to crash down on them. The fox refused to admit that he felt an odd tingle running down his spine. How could he help it? Most people who slept so intimately have had sexual relations, while they hadn't.

Not that he was complaining, of course.

She fell asleep first, and as he turned, he allowed his arm to drift over to her side. Kurama was not an optimist when it came to himself. He was a freak, not human, not spirit, and not a demon. He was the two percent "Other". Except he was the only one in the category.

Kurama Shuiichi and Youko were well aware that Shizuru and himself were very good friends. And friends they have remained, even though they are now bonded by marriage. Kurama shifted, closing his green eyes.

How long would it be? How long would it take for Shizuru to get tired of knowing that she could never love another without cheating? Without feeling dirty even if it was true love in its finest form. Although Kurama knew it was inevitable, he still had this odd grumble in his stomach whenever he thought of her running off with some nigen.

He would stay awake for another hour or so now.

He sat up, slowly getting off of the mattress and heading down to his garden.

Kurama couldn't think. He didn't want to think. Thinking got people in trouble, but he had to. He loved to think. The fox began to water his roses, closing his eyes as he inhaled their sweet and subtle scent.

He hated pitying himself, so he refused to do so. There was always something worse out there, so the kitsune told himself that he should be glad that he has been spared of those unknown tortures. It was December. Christmas was coming. Over a month of being married.

_Hiei and Botan._

A thoughtful frown settled over the fox's face. Yes, what of them? He opened his eyes, sitting down on a bench. He pondered about the odd couple. Had they reached a comprise? An odd sort of companionship? Or did they still stay away from each other?

The fox was still for a long while, the stars watching the slightly insomniac fox fiddle with a leaf with his thumb and forefinger.

_If this marriage is starting to tear the seams of __my__ brain apart... then what is it doing to Hiei?_

II

Pink eyes were hooded slightly. Nostrils were filled with the scent of fresh air. It was overwhelming. Slender hands spread out over the now, bare feet stretching out. Her entire pose was similar to a feline's.

The ferry girl could not explain it if she tried. The words to accurately depict the way she was feeling had not yet been invented. A little bit bubbly. Free. Mint. Yes, mint. Perhaps the word gillandtry. Gillandry. She had just made that word up now. No definition. Well, yes, it did have a definition. Gillandry was an adjective that is used to describe when one feels so free that it bubbles up and causes the subject to feel mint-like.

Botan giggled. She was acting very silly. She knew it, too. She was laying in the snow, her back starting to get chilly as she stared up into the falling snow. She was giddy. She was carefree. She was crazy.

Her back arched as she got a particular good whiff of air. She groaned as a satisfied smile slid across her face. Snowflakes landed on the tip of her nose. They became caught in her silky blue hair and her eyelashes.

From far away, she looked more spirit than human, even though she was both. A human spirit. From far away, from where Hiei was standing, she looked like a total spirit. She was literally shimmering. It was lucky they didn't have neighbors, or they would have thought that they were setting off fireworks.

Crimson eyes watched as his... his wife reached up towards the sky. The light that emitted from her, he had never seen her like this before. He wondered if Yusuke had. Or perhaps Yukina. Maybe Koenma had seen it.

Her lips were open, in a relaxed smile. The sparkle that surrounded her body was in her eyes. In fact, if the shimmer in her eyes was out in the open, Hiei was sure that he would have been blinded.

He just watched her. From a distance. Hiei Jaganshi, thief and cold demon warrior, was curious. He wanted to know what had caused this, and how she could find joy while she knew she was going to be married to _him_ for the rest of their long lives.

Deep down... Hiei wondered if he would ever be able to make her smile like that.

III

_Hiei remembered how his breath seemed a bit too shallow for comfort. He was satisfied. She was okay. She was going to be okay. He was never going to let anything like this happen to her again. _

_Her body, completely bare except for a pair of white panties, was battered. He had applied the salve. His eyes were now staring into her's. Waiting. Maybe for a slap across the face, for whatever reason. Or for tears. An idiotic smile. Perhaps a flicker of fear or disgust. _

"_Thank you." Hiei's hand acted on their own accord, pulling the robe together and tying the sash. "You... you didn't have to do it... and you did anyway." Her pink eyes, though naive_ _at moments, were very serious. The fire demon could tell that she had seen many things. Years. Maybe even centuries. "Why?"_

The Forbidden Child left Ningenkai. He was currently walking through the halls of Rekai. Ogres and ferry girls were giving him wary stares, but as long as he just moved slowly and didn't set anything on fire, they would leave him alone.

He found the ogre, George, and lightly touched his arm so he didn't startle the creature.

"Hiei?" The ogre had indeed jumped significantly and was failing miserably at trying to hide the fact that Hiei had frightened him. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to see Koenma." The ogre, though weak and slightly cowardly, stood up straight and remained where he was. "Just on business."

_Botan had straightened a bit, though their proximity to each other was still close. Hiei frowned, his face not betraying his shallow breath and murmuring heart. The warm feeling that was trickling through his veins was starting to make him worry about his own mental health. _

"_Because." He looked away, trying to call up the words. His voice, he had to make sure that it stayed at a monotone. His tenor monotone that she had always known and was used to. The emotionless tone. "Because, you didn't... could never have... deserved that treatment." _

_He was not lying. Hiei was above lying at this point in his life. Her pink eyes crinkled at the sides as her lips curved upwards slightly. She didn't grin, and her smile was not filled with joy. He realized he had never seen her so solemn._

"_I understand that part. Your code." Her hands were on her knees, and he still was partially on top of her. "But... you could have just let me heal myself. You had no need to take care of my wounds." Her words started to come faster and faster. "I didn't ask for it, I didn't beg or be overly dramatic, I didn't want you to–"_

"_I wanted to." _

George led him down a hallway. Hiei came to the conclusion that this was where the private quarters were. The ogre stopped at a lavish door with intricate carvings that was incrusted with jewels.

"I recommend knocking first, but you don't have to."

The ogre flashed Hiei a slightly mischievous smile.

"Understood."

Hiei waited for George to saunter down the hallway, out of ears reach. Hiei backed up, jumping into the air with a slight spin and delivered a swift, harsh kick to the door. He landed just in time to see the colossal thing collapse to the ground, making the walls around him shudder.

"_**What the hell is going on?**_" Koenma was heard in the other room, Hiei stepping on top of the door, kicking some debris away with the tip of his boot. The fire demon watched as the Prince scurried out of his private office. "What happened to... the..."

His lips stopped working when he saw the magnificent scene that was laid out before him. Hiei was standing on top of what had been his door. His boots were surrounded by artful carvings and jewels. His eyes glittered in the dim light, his katana hanging from his side.

The image was so fantastic that Koenma thought that if what he was seeing were a painting, it would be hanging in the Louvre, casting the Mona Lisa into the shadows.

"Hn."

IV

Kurama remained outside, goose-bumps rising up on his skin. The Marriage Law... it was completely absurd. He wondered how many demons had been affected and if they were angry or not. And how many nigens were now getting married to creatures they didn't even know about.

Kurama was going to lose a lot of sleep. He could tell already. He wasn't going to be able to stop thinking about it. The question was: How is the Law going to affect Shizuru and himself?

V

"_What?"_

_She had blinked, her robe shifting under Hiei. The Forbidden Child did not falter. His stony face would __never__ crack. _

"_I wanted to." He refused to admit that he regretted saying it in the first place. The look in her eyes, the mixture of sly curiosity and mirth would ruin him one day. "I wanted to get rid of the pain."_

"What are you doing here, Hiei?"

Koenma was in his boxers, his arms hugging his stomach. The fire demon stepped off of the door, a confidant air swirling about him.

"I want you to see something." Hiei refused to waste time. "I don't know if it is something that you would worry about or not."

Koenma could barely breath before his short companion grabbed his face and pressed their foreheads together, the Jagan Eye opening and taking over the Prince of Hell's mind.

_The fire crackled. Botan frowned slightly, biting her lip. She never voiced what ailed her. Hiei watched as she picked some dirt out of her hair. He knew that he should move. And move he did. He stood slowly, stretching his arms as he hung his cloak on the side of the chair. _

_The ferry girl sat up, testing out her legs as she took a step from the chair. Although Hiei didn't look, he could hear her wince, a hiss of breath emitting from her lips. She pulled the robe tightly around her. _

"_You're sweet."_

_Hiei snorted, turning. An ice cold smirk was on his face. _

"_Hn. Yeah. Right."_

_Her eyes didn't show sarcasm or jest. _

"_Really, Hiei. You're sweet."_

Images flashed before Koenma's eyes before they finally honed in on the proper memory. He saw his precious ferry girl laying in the snow. He couldn't really get a good look at her, seeing as how he was gazing at her from a distance.

But he saw what had urged Hiei to come all the way up to Rekai. She was sparkling. Her aura was pure bliss, bubbling up and over a normal human's limitations. She was... joyous. More than words could explain.

After a few seconds, Hiei appeared. In his own memory. _Is that even possible? _

"I can assure you, it is." Hiei's cold voice answered the Prince's question. "So, is this... normal?"

Koenma almost snorted with an ironic chuckle. Was it just him, or was Hiei worrying?

"_Sweet? Onna, I doubt that word is sufficient in describing me."_

_Her smile brightened, the seriousness dissolving away like sugar in water. _

"_You just being stubborn." She moved towards him, lightly punching him in the shoulder. It had been the first time she had actually come in contact with him casually. Acting as if they were friends. "You'll see it." She winked. "Even Yukina thinks so."_

_The demon bristled, a snarl on his lips. _

"_If she isn't ashamed at being related to me."_

_Her hand withdrew slightly, still hovering close to him. Her pink eyes recoiled. But she never backed down. Brave until the very end. _

"_Stop it." As if she had forgotten just who she was touching, her fingers touched his black bangs. Every lightly. More of a whisper than an actual touch. But to Hiei... even a whisper counts as a touch. "You are. Even if you don't know it yet."_

_She lingered, as if thinking of doing something else. Additional to the sudden touching. She must have decided against it. Her lips twitched as she bowed her head low and walked slowly towards her room. She opened the door, and she hesitated again. Thinking. Hiei activated his Jagan Eye, but she walked forward before he had the change to invade her mind. The night ended like that, Hiei staring after his wife as the door creaked shut behind her. _

VI

"I don't worry, brat." Hiei crossed his arms. "I would just like to know if this is a normal thing for nigen spirits to do."

Koenma sighed, seeing that Hiei wasn't going to let a single thought slip by him.

"No. If that was normal than Rekai would be glowing brighter than the sun." Before Hiei could interject, the Prince continued. "It happens, sure, but only under the right circumstances."

Hiei rolled his eyes, glowering like an impatient child.

"Like..."

"Like happiness." Koenma looked around Hiei to the ferry girl in the demon's memory. "But not the 'oh I got a present' happy or the 'cute puppy' happy. This happiness shouldn't really be called happiness anymore." Koenma's eyes softened. "It's a rare state of carefree bliss."

Hiei glanced behind him, at his own memory.

"Hn. Have you ever been like... that?"

Koenma shook his head.

"Nope. Never." The two men stood in silence, both of them looking at the blue haired woman. Watching as she giggled up into the sky, the shimmering aura fluctuating with each falling snowflake. "I... I knew that you wouldn't harm her. I knew that if she was in danger, that you wouldn't let her come to harm." Koenma sniffed a little bit. "But... I never... I never imagined..."

Hiei's shoulders tensed, his fists clenching.

"I didn't do this." His eyes were deadly serious. "I just wondered what it was. That's all."

Koenma tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow raising.

"Are you sure?" He listened to Botan let out an airy laugh, her hands reaching up to the sky. "Botan can find happiness in things that would seem insignificant." She looked like she was trying to hug the sky. "Little things. Things that would just go by normal people."

The Prince saw Hiei think. As he did so, the memory vanished. A new one popped up in its place. Koenma's brown eyes widened with a literal overload of information. He saw Botan's face, zoomed in on. Hiei must have been very close to her during this particular memory.

"_You're sweet."_

More flashes. Now Koenma was staring at a dark forest. He struggled, using his own energy to keep himself inside Hiei's mind.

All he was able to see (for a very short moment, mind you) Botan. She was pale, as if she had just seen something positively ghastly. She was wearing Hiei's overcoat, her legs shaking. Her eyes were looking right at Hiei's.

As the scenes began to change, to a place with dimmer light, Koenma was ripped out of Hiei's memories. Just when he was able to see something flesh colored getting rubbed down with green... paste.

Koenma's new reality was that he was inches away from Hiei. A very pissed off Hiei.

"Using your own spirit energy to stay in my mind. How trite." A low growl rumbled from the shorter man's throat. "Don't do it again." His hand rested on his katana. "For your own sake."

Intimidation. It would get the Prince every time.

"Okay, okay, but are you _certain_ that you didn't make her happy? It's nothing to be asham–"

"No, brat." Hiei walked out of his room, stepping on the door that laid on the floor. "I can not make her happy."

VII

"What are you doing?" A weary voice made its way to Kurama's ears. He turned to see Shizuru leaning against the doorway, her pajamas hanging loosely from her body. "It's late."

The fox stood hastily.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

She wrinkled her nose turning as he walked inside.

"Yeah, well think later. Come back to bed."

The way her voice held a slight whine, the way she pulled on his arm, made both Youko and Kurama's heart flutter slightly. For a short moment, for a breath of time, it sounded as if... she...

"I didn't know I woke you up."

She looked over her shoulder at him.

"You didn't." She looked away from him, as if bashful. "You not being there did."

VIII

Botan stayed outside until the stars shone brightly. She was still glowing when Hiei walked towards her, the snow cracking under his feet. She smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hn."

They stared at the stars in silence. The moon hung like a magical orb. Hiei rarely looked at the sky. The sky in Makai was nothing special, the air dusty and dry. Ningenkai, however, was so beautiful. The skies were rich with unique colors, twinkling entities staring down at them.

"Ready?"

Her voice made him glace over at her.

"For what?"

"To go inside."

It struck him as odd. As if she was warning him that she was about to go back inside her own house. It almost seemed like she wanted him to be involved. Without missing a beat, the demon shrugged.

"Hn."

IX

A/N: Yes, I'm late on the Christmas reference, but whatever. Okay, so yes, I did make up the word in section II. Gillandry is offically an Orphan Mia word lol! Yeah... I'm lame. Okay, so did you like this chapter? I tried to incorporate subtle emotions and worked on my detail. I hope you liked it, but if you didn't, tell me why!

-mia

p.s. Gillandry: (Gill-And-Dree) adj: State of pure carefree bliss. One could say, orgasmic.


	9. Dividing Space

Marriage by Law : Dividing Space

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I hope this chapter gets more! Um, yeah that's about it. I thought I'd bring Mukuro back, she's pretty cool. Read and Review!

I

Rekai moved a bit slower than normal. Since the Marriage Law... nothing _too _bad had happened. The demons were happy to be able to live in Ningenkai, and the humans didn't know any better. He groaned, stretching as he slumped over, deciding to take a cat nap.

"Koenma? Sir?"

_Ugh._

"What, George?"

He picked his head up to see the ogre shifting back and forth nervously, wringing his big hands. His tiny black eyes flitted from the door to his Master.

"You have... you have a visitor."

Names and faces flashed in his mind, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama wouldn't have George so spooked. Hiei could... but he wouldn't wait to be called in. _No, he'd just kick the door down!_ The Prince found himself drawing a blank. _Who in the Three Worlds is it?_

"Well, let them in, I suppose."

George nodded, bowing quickly before scuttling out of the room. Koenma had time to straighten his back and change into his teenage form before his door opened.

Standing, clothed in black and red robes, was Mukuro.

"Good day, Koenma."

The Prince of Hell blinked, trying to stop his face from paling and his mouth from falling open.

"Good morning." The Prince rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "What brings you here?"

She sat down, crossing her legs as her single eye locked with his.

"I've come here to ask you if you are using Hiei."

Koenma's eyebrows pushed themselves together in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"Hiei, my Second in Command, has not been at his post for about a month." She tucked some brown hair behind her ear. "The only logical reason for his long absence is that he is running petty errands for you."

_Crap._ Hiei must not have told her... hell... Mukuro wasn't one of the demons who was selected to be married. Koenma had kept his distance to the powerful demons of Makai.

"I... assure you that Hiei is just fine."

A shadow danced across her face.

"I'm not concerned about Hiei's well being. He is capable of taking care of himself. "Her voice was sharp, like a vice principal's. "I'd like to know where he is."

The clock on the wall ticked loudly as Koenma's slow moving mind stumbled as he struggled to think of a believable excuse.

"If you'll just wait for a few hours, I'll ca—"

"No. I've searched Makai, and I had the decency to come you first before I move my troops to Ningenkai."

The Prince did visibly pale, having given up trying to hide it.

"I can't let you bring in troops, Mukuro, you know that."

"Then I'll go myself." Her eye narrowed, her lips curling in a smirk that was more chilling than Hiei's. "Unless you tell me what he's doing."

The silence was excruciating. Koenma was caught between a rock and a hard place. Mukuro was right there, her aura ready to take the Prince out in a duel. Yet... Hiei Jaganshi was also very real who took privacy **very** seriously. Koenma had to tell Mukuro that he was married, but Hiei would be beyond furious if he did.

"Hiei... from what I understand and assume... is spending time with his wife."

Mukuro's face fell. Koenma would have laughed if she wasn't so deadly. Her eyebrows slackened, her lips falling open, making her look like a fish out of water. Her head tilted downward and to the left slightly, her hands running through her hair.

"He's... he's _**married**_ now?"

"Yes." Koenma pulled at his collar, which suddenly seemed too tight. "I've passed a Marriage Law to stop stillborns born to ningens due to incestuous—"

"What? A _Marriage Law_? What is wrong with you?"

She stood up, her demonic energy making the temperature rise in the room.

"I did it for the good of the future of Ningenkai!"

The air sparked, the two supreme beings glaring at each other, nose-to-nose. When neither deity backed down, Mukuro withdrew, her eyes still crackling with anger. She turned swiftly on her heel, marching out of the room.

Koenma let out his breath, turning back into a "toddler", collapsing into his chair. _Christ, I've got to call Botan!_

II

Botan was walking through the forest. Her blue hair was down, her hands covered by gloves, and her neck covered by a scarf. She was running her hands over the bark of a tree when her compact began ringing.

Jumping, her heart pounding, she quickly pulled out her communicator.

"Botan? Botan, are you there?"

Koenma's baby face was on the screen.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's wrong?"

"Get in the air! Mukuro just left my office, and I told her about Hiei and the Marriage Law." He took a deep breath, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I think she's coming. Botan, get out of Ningenkai!"

The ferry girl didn't have time to get goose-bumps before her compact was sliced in half. Pink eyes shot open. The hair on her arms prickled. She whirled around, her eyes searching the branches of the trees. _Oh, Kami. Oh, Kami. Oh, Kami!_

With a practiced wave, she summoned her oar. Botan hopped on, soaring for the treetops. Her eyes closed, her heart thundering as the top of her head brushed the tree branches. A clink was heard, Botan's head turning to the back of her oar. A chain had wrapped around it, yanking it down.

Wind roaring in her ears, the ferry girl fell.

Botan bit her lips, pressing her palms together as the ground rushed up to meet her. Spirit energy rippled through her system, sweat gathering on her brow. Two beats of her heart later, a sphere of spirit energy was fired at the ground. The ferry girl, who had been inches away from being a pancake, felt the pulse that broke her fall, keeping her momentarily suspended in the air.

_Thud!_

The ferry girl moan, her lungs paralyzed. The wind had been knocked out of her. She bent her knees, kneeling as she caught her breath. Pushing herself up, Botan stood, trying to keep herself calm. There were always compromises for everything.

"Mukuro?" Her breath fogged out in front of her. Botan sniffed, loosening her scarf's hold around her neck. "I-I know it's you."

Botan turned at a soft snicker. The ferry girl pulled her hair up, fighting the urge to back away from the approaching demon queen. Mukuro's face was like stone (not dissimilar from her Second in Command, Hiei), and her black and red robes attracted Botan's eyes.

"You're not one to 'beat around the bush', are you?"

The ferry girl shook her head, a cautious smile twitching on her lips.

"I don't see the point." Botan smiled sheepishly. "I mean, obviously I can't run from you."

They were very close. Face to face. The compact was still sliced in half on the ground.

"A good choice on your part." She bent down, scooping up sticks. In a cat-like move, she threw the twigs up into the air. They burst about fifteen feet up, falling down in little splinters. "You would have... well, you wouldn't have been well off."

The slingers caught in the ferry girl's eyelashes.

"Dividing Space..."

A predatory smile crawled up onto the demon's face.

"For such a pretty face, you're awfully smart."

III

Hiei was out in the valley, milling about. He was thinking about leaving. He really had no inclination to stay. It's not as if... she _needed_ him or anything. He was... he was needed in Makai.

_Makai! Kami, I—_

"Hiei! Hiei!" The fire demon fell backwards, adrenalin flushing through his entire system. Koenma, the littler brat, had appeared about two centimeters from Koenma's face. "Hiei, oh Kami!"

Struggling to not visibly show how much Koenma had startled him, Hiei growled, sitting up in the snow.

"Quick, brat." His heart was still fluttering. "You're lucky you weren't sliced in half, coming out of nowhere like that..." The Forbidden Child looked up at the pale, shivering Prince. "What's wrong?"

Koenma sucked in breath, color returning to his cheeks.

"Mukuro..." Wheeze. "Mukuro came to my office." Gasp. "She wanted to... to find you."

The puzzle pieces clicked together. Hiei gripped the toddler by the shoulders.

"What did you tell her?"

The Prince was sputtering, his big eyes almost popping out of their sockets, not hearing the short demon.

"Where's Botan? Where is she?"

"**What did you tell her?**"

Tears welled up in the Prince's eyes, his lips wet as he inhaled sharply.

"I-I-I told her that y-you were with y-you w-wife."

Hiei felt his stomach drop to his ankles. He released the Prince, his Jagan opening as he left the sobbing Prince of Hell alone in the snowy field.

IV

"How big is the barrier?"

Mukuro didn't miss a beat.

"It's not a barrier, per say, and if desired, you would walk in about a ten foot radius without getting cut." A cold finger ran down the ferry girl's back, the hairs on her neck standing up. "May I please see your left hand?"

Although the demon had asked a question, Botan had been in existence long enough to know that she had no say in the matter. She placed her hand into Mukuro's worn fingers, watching as the demon skimmed over her fingers, her eye landing on the wedding ring.

"That ring..." Mukuro robbed over the dragon's scales with her thumb. "So Koenma wasn't lying."

Botan held herself with feigned confidence.

"I'm afraid not."

V

Hiei's cloak billowed behind him as he found Botan's spirit energy. His legs only pumped faster when he felt Mukuro's presence. He was getting cut by the branches, but that didn't matter.

He looked back, and what he saw chilled him.

His cloak was in tiny pieces. Strewn on the ground like bird seed. Frowning, the Forbidden Child gave more power to his Jagan Eye. His two normal eyes widened when he saw thin red lines glowing all around him, becoming more abundant the closer to Botan they got.

Hiei Jaganshi glanced in Botan's general direction as he took off what remained of his overcoat. In his fighting shirt and pants, the fire demon began to cautiously maneuver around Mukuro's deadly Dividing Space.

VI

Koenma was still sitting on the ground, wiping tears away as he found his compact.

"George." His eyes stared off into the distance. To the place where Hiei disappeared. "Bring everyone. Spirits, demons, every solider we have." He paused, transforming back into a teenager. "We have to get Botan back."

VII

Hiei began to pant after fifteen minutes. His shirt was in tartars, cuts all across his legs, back, arms, and chest. His eyes began to blink dangerously slow as he trudged on.

His mouth hung open, his breath fogging out in front of him. _Slice. _Right on his upper arm. Hiei jerked back from the line, causing himself to hit about four others.

The lines kept getting narrower and narrower, his grace slipping as he kept on losing more blood. To Hiei, as he could feel he was just a few feet away from his wife and inches away from unconsciousness, he had entered his personal Hell.

VIII

Mukuro dropped the ferry girl's hand like it was poisonous. She had to turn away from Botan, her shoulders shaking.

"Why... why would you... why _you_? He's never liked _you_!"

The words tung, the ferry girl had to admit.

"It's not as if it was my decision!"

The two women refused to back down.

"Are you a virgin?"

Botan's face fell.

"What?"

"_Are you a virgin?_"

"Yes." Botan's cheeks burned like fire. "I am."

Mukuro's eyes narrowed.

"Good." She crossed her arms, the sleeves of her robes whispering in the cold air. "How pure are you?"

The ferry girl was tempted to summon her oar again, slamming it across the back of Mukuro's head like she would have done if it were Yusuke or Kuwabara. Botan knew Mukuro smirked at the shadow of anger that slithered across her face.

"Hiei was my first kiss."

Oh, it was a sweet victory to see the flames that danced in Mukuro's eye.

"He _kissed_ you?"

The win was short lived, Botan's heart squeezing when she saw the crest-fallen demon.

"No... Mukuro, he didn't really mean t—"

At that moment a low scream entered the two entities ears, made the turn.

IX

Hiei could hear his Master's voice raise. _Baka... Botan get out..._ His wife didn't obey his silent command. Hiei could feel his eyes start to roll back into his skull.

He let out a guttural cry as he charged through the Dividing Space, blood spraying before him. The last thing he saw was the blue haired onna run forward, her arms reaching for him through the lines, red soaking through her gloves.

_Baka...onna..._

X

"No, Botan, don't!"

Mukuro's voice fell on deaf ears when Botan ran, hands extended to touch Hiei. The demon's heart stopped when she heard the girl's voice squeal, her fingers leaking red. Mukuro took away the Dividing Space, temporarily paralyzed as she saw Botan take Hiei into her eyes leaking tears.

"Kami, Botan." Mukuro had to tear the ferry girl off of her Second in Command. Botan wasn't sobbing, but tears still fell form her eyes as she mouthed unknown words silently. The demon huffed, having to use actual demonic energy to get Botan off of Hiei. "Damn... he's bleeding badly."

Mukuro had to tackle Botan to the ground, trying to stop her from going into shock. The demon pinned the ferry girl's wrists above her head, jolting her with demonic energy. Her pink eyes went wide, a silent scream on her lips.

"Stay with me, Botan. Stay!"

"Yeah!" She nodded frantically. "I'm alright, I'm alright."

Botan shook herself, Mukuro letting her sit up. The ferry girl clutched onto the demon, forgetting just who she was embracing.

"It's okay. We need to help Hiei."

Botan nodded, her chin hitting Mukuro's shoulder.

"I can carry him. I can do it." Her voice, though frightened, was straight forward and true. "I think he made a healing paste. It should still be at the house."

Mukuro lifted Botan onto her feet, watching as the top ferry girl of Rekai stumbled over to her husband. She picked him up, hissing as what was left of her fingers caught on his pants as she lifted him, carrying him on her back.

As they jogged through the woods, spots of blood following them, Mukuro found herself in te middle of a personal crisis.

She had come to Ningenkai to knock some sense into this blue haired bimbo and then her Second in Command. She came to be angry and bitter. Mukuro was ready to hate, hit, roar, and bite. But... as she watched Botan's pale face as she held Hiei's legs, his head resting on her shoulder, her breaths coming in fast bursts... it made everything come to a screeching halt.

She wasn't a baka.

Though she might not have known it, Botan had earned an enormous amount of respect from the demon.

They broke though, into the clearing, running up a hill.

"The house is just over the hill."

Mukuro's hand was pressing into Hiei's back, her ki pouring into him, keeping his heart beating. With a great push, the three of them came to the top of the hill.

The two women lost their breath when they saw what waited for them.

Lined up was the old Rekai Tentei accompanied with the Rekai guards that were Koenma's personal body guards. Pink and a brown eye landed on the teenage Prince, his arms crossed as his robes whipped in the winter wind, snowflakes catching in his brown hair.

"Koenma threw his hands up in the air.

"Men, seize that demon!"

The winter serenity only lasted for a few milliseconds. Botan's hair fell in front of her eyes, her fingers burning as the fabric from Hiei's pants would get caught in her gashes. Mukuro's energy was draining fast, being Hiei's living life support system.

Another battle was just beginning.

XI

A/N: Did you like it? Was the emotion believable? Please, PLEASE review! I love each and everyone of them, even flames! Just tell me how it made you feel, please! I heart you all!

-mia


	10. Italian Food

Marriage by Law : Italian Food

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Keep on leaving them. Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, it's been really hard to find inspiration for this story. So... here it goes. Please Review!

I

Mukuro felt her entire aura tremble.

"How can we... I can't—"

"You can't be _serious_!" The demon turned toward the ferry girl. Botan was kneeling on the ground by Hiei's side. "You're the most powerful demon out there! You have endless energy!"

She was right. But... the endless energy came from anger. At first, before Mukuro met Hiei, she had always been angry at her father. That abusive piece of filth—

_Ba-dum._

A pulse of power flowed through her. Her single eye opened as the power faded as her thoughts returned to normal.

"Botan, I need something around my wrists."

"What?"

"Anything! Bracelets, hair ties, anything—!"

"Hair ties. Got it." The ferry girl's bleeding hands shook as she pulled them from her pockets, sliding them over the demon's skinny wrists. "Okay."

Mukuro didn't hear her. As soon as the elastic bands rubbed against the raw skin that was caused by the shackles... _those horrible shackles_, her eyes glazed over. The snow melted around them as raw power coursed through the demon.

But she could see.

She could see the army waiting for her. A misunderstanding taken too far.

_Ba-dum._

"Stay here and heal."

_Ba-dum._

"You can't go! How can you keep them still enough to explain everything?"

_Ba-dum._

Mukuro's lips pulled back into a wolfish smile, her aura glowing blood.

_Ba-dum._

"Leave it to me."

With that, Mukuro charged.

II

Koenma felt every part of him shrink when he saw the former part-Ruler of Makai disappear.

"Steady..." His hand was up. "Steady..."

Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara were motionless. The ex-spirit detective's eyes slid over to Kurama.

"Pst! Kurama." The kitsune returned his gaze. "What do you think she's going to do?"

The fox looked out over the snow covered valley.

"I don't know." He began to take the rose out of his hair. "All we can do is wait."

III

Botan closed her eyes, her hands over Hiei's chest. _Kami... help me. Give me your strength. _Her aura turned white, her hair beginning to float up into the air as the breeze began to circle them. _Please... lend me your energy. The energy of the earth, spirit, and my own __**soul...**_

Hiei's chest rose, as if to meet the white magic that flowed from her fingers.

"Mm..." The ferry girl smiled as Hiei's eyes fluttered open, his mouth sagging open. "Onna..."

His voice was thick and moist, like blood was leaking into his windpipe. Botan tried to smile for him, but found it quite difficult as the white magic was starting to wear away her nerves.

"Sh... it's going to be okay."

Hiei bit his lip, Botan's hand gliding over his chest, leaving trails of her blood behind. Botan panted, slowing her breathing to a painfully lethargic pace. Her eyes glazed over, staring off at nothing as she brought herself into a place of meditation.

_Enma... lend me your power and take from me my pain._

In that final prayer, the entire area flashed pure white as the ferry girl's scream rose into the air.

IV

Mukuro appeared in front of the Prince of Hell, her hair singed. She licked her lips, and without much thought, the Dividing Space sprang up. Koenma tried to step forward, but quickly cut his nose against the line of pure energy.

"Good morning, gentleman." Her voice was hoarse with excitement. She hadn't had a thrill like this for too long... "I take it you came here to subdue the _beast_ that was trying to harm the _beautiful, innocent_ ferry girl." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Koenma... you of all people should wait these things out... making **sure** that you have all the **details** right."

Her brown eye sparked with the former power and madness that she had once harnessed Makai with. It swept over Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara, sending chills down all of their spines. Her pointed teeth were exposed at this, her pink tongue running over them.

"It seemed apparent to me, Mukuro that you were planning to—"

"_**Silence!**_" The demon held her hand up, and more stands of energy appeared around the Prince, further limiting his movements. She smelled the fear emit from the 'baka' otherwise known as Kuwabara. Kurama's cool green eyes were trained on her at all times, never flinching away from her power. "This law... this preposterous law... should not have involved my Second in Command in the first place."

Her robes blew in the wind, and Hiei's close friend, Kurama Shuiichi, finally decided to speak.

"The law also should not have involved Botan. Or me, Yusuke, or Kuwabara. But it happened. There is nothing that we can do about it now, Mukuro, unless we decide to murder our spouses or kill ourselves."

Koenma let out a squeak at the 'murder our spouses' and the fox's face fell, realizing his (possible) deadly mistake.

"I know, Mr. Shuiichi." Her long nails dragged on her lower lip. She was the epitome of seduction and sin as her eye slowly scanned over him. "I thought of killing the ferry girl myself. With my very own hands."

"You bi—"

With a slight narrowing of Mukuro's eyes, a myriad of tiny energy lines zigzagged across Koenma's mouth, forcing him to stay silent or risk slicing his pretty lips off.

"No need for vulgarities, Koenma." Her calm exterior frightened the Rekai soldiers. That calculating coolness that hit-men had, not minding when they got their hands dirty with blood. "I changed my mind. I'm not going to kill your _precious ferry girl_."

Yusuke, the son of Raizen, was glaring at her, the same way a boy would glare at his mother who decided to cut his curfew.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Mukuro thought for a long while.

"Actually, in all honesty, I'd love to get to know her." She chuckled darkly. "I imagine that we could be _great_ friends." The demon looked over the men. She closed her eyes. "But... I'm afraid that with all of you around, that would make it increasingly inconvenient for me."

Her eyes still closed, the ground below the ex-Rekai Tentei, Koenma, and other soldiers began to disappear.

V

Hiei's eyes were wide, staring up at what used to be the ferry onna. _His_ ferry onna.

Her blue hair was floating up towards the sky, as if she were underwater. Her body was glowing white from every point, skin, clothes, eyes, mouth, nose, everywhere. Her lips opened wide, fogs of her breath leaving them. His crimson eyes looked down to see his wounds were rapidly healing themselves.

A chocked sob brought his attention back to Botan. Her face twisted in agony, her throat constricting. Desperate pants and mewls came from her voice box. It was the sounds of a dying woman.

His body was pulled up by the sheer force of her white magic as the very last of his muscle tears, bloody bones, and nerves returning to the state that they were once in. Normal. Healthy.

The light vanished in one colossal pulse, the ferry girl slumping forward onto his chest, her eyes still open and her breathing becoming labored as she merely tried to catch her breath.

VI

Mukuro's lips twitched as she opened a portal beneath the men. It swirled, lapping at their feet.

"This will bring you back to Rekai." She waved, her red lips pulled back into a charming smile. "_Bon voyage."_

Kurama's face never stirred, but his heartbeat did pick up its pace quite quickly. Kuwabara openly began to try and slow his quickening breaths. Yusuke and Koenma glared at her as they were thrown into the portal and away from Botan's house. Hiei's house. _Their_ house.

The demon turned, sealing off the portal and removing the Dividing Space from the area. She turned and began to walk back to where she had last left Hiei and Botan. The demon saw the ferry girl passed out across her Second in Command's chest, but as she looked closer, Botan was not unconscious. Merely exhausted.

Hiei was slowly getting up, making sure not to knock the girl roughly off of him. His eyes met Mukuro's, and his frown deepened.

"That wasn't necessary."

He was lugging the girl into his arms, carrying her like a man could carry a bride. _How ironic. _

"It wouldn't have happened if you had just _**told me**_."

"I was preoccupied with other matters."

"Like your _wife?_"

She received no answer, only his harsh glare. The two demons made their way to the house, the ferry girl sighing in his arms, still unable to form words. To come to defend her husband. To insert her say in this matter.

Hiei opened the door, letting Mukuro inside first. He paused, watching his Master step inside the modest abode before he too entered, closing the door behind him.

VII

"Here. Drink this." Botan turned her head away, but Mukuro quickly caught the ferry girl's chin. "Drink it."

Hiei was sipping some tea that his Master made, watching as she gave the same mixture to Botan. The ferry girl sat up, her body beginning to move slowly under Mukuro's care.

"_Thank you..."_ Her pink eyes closed as she smiled. _"See... you've still got it."_

The fire demon almost had to do a double-take when he saw Mukuro's face fall, her eyes softening as she pulled Botan up, getting her to get her legs back. His Master didn't say anything, just shifting her weight and tossing her arm around the demon's shoulder.

Hiei suddenly felt an odd pressure in his chest. He put down the cup of tea, frowning as his entire body seemed to be slowly turning to stone.

Before he could open his mouth, he was already falling. His arm reached out, but his eyes were filling with darkness before he even hit the ground.

VIII

Botan whipped her neck around when she heard the cup shatter on the wooden floor. Her pink eyes settled on her husband, who was currently lying on the floor, not stirring.

"Mukuro—"

"Don't worry about him." Mukuro's hand turned her head around. "You used a lot of white magic on him. His body is just going to adjust from being revived so quickly. He'll be fine." Botan knew she was lying. By the way her eye narrowed and the corner of her mouth dipped ever so slightly, the ferry girl was _sure_ that Mukuro was lying. She would bet her soul on it. But... but she was hanging from her shoulder. Her legs were, for the moment, dead, so she was in no position to start a fight and/or interrogation. "Tell me, do you like Italian food?"

"What?"

"Do. You. Like. Italian. Food?" The ferry girl nodded, her head in the clouds at Mukuro's strange questions and seemingly new personality. Well, then again, Botan really didn't know her all that well. "Good. I love it. It's one of the few things that ningens really got right, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Of course not." They were in the kitchen now, Mukuro propping the ferry girl up on the counter, her slowly recovering legs dangling over the edge. "Do you need any help?"

"No. I've got it." Mukuro closed her eye, swaying as her nostrils flared slightly, air silently filling her lungs. "Ah, you _do_ have oregano." She moved about the kitchen her eyes still closed as she opened drawers and removed ingredients. "Paprika. Butter. Pasta. Basil leaves. Botan, you never told me that you were a cook."

The hair ties on her wrist were gone. She was back to... was this normal?

"I haven't told you a lot of things."

Mukuro's single eye opened, a pile of food in front of her. She began to chop, dice, and stir, operating the pots, pans, burners, and utensils like she had been under Wolfgang Puck's training.

"Yeah. Haven't we all?" Her demonic energy flared up, making the water come to an instant boil. "Well, do you want to start or should I?"

The ferry girl swung her legs, shaking the feeling back into them.

"I'm sorry that you... didn't know."

"It was a loss, true, but I'm over that now."

_Okay... what do you want me to say?_

"Hiei... he really shouldn't have been involved, so I'm s—"

"It wasn't your choice, it was Koenma's doing."

Botan frowned, becoming increasingly frustrated. Mukuro obviously wanted her to say something, but the ferry girl was not guessing correctly.

"Then..." Her voice failed her. Her heart was clenched painfully, but she pushed down the feeling to vomit and cry at the same time. No one liked a crybaby. "Then it's me." Mukuro was silent, stirring the vodka sauce. "I know I'm not strong like Yusuke. I can't win against Kurama when it comes to mind games. I'm certainly don't have a wonderful personality that suits Hiei. Or anyone, for that matter. I'm an air head. A ferry girl." Again, Mukuro remained quiet. "I know that I don't even stand a chance to meet your standards."

The wooden spoon stirred the sauce, the demon lifting it out of the pot to taste it.

"Delicious." She didn't smile. "You don't. I'm glad that you know."

Botan flashed a sad smile, leaning against the cabinet.

"That makes one of us."

Mukuro dumped the spaghetti into a drainer, steam raising up, rinsing over her face.

"What would you rather have: the truth or ignorance that allows you to remain happy?"

"The truth, of course."

"Good."

Blue hair was tugged on as the ferry girl began to get increasingly brave, but then again, it could be the side-effects of the adrenalin that still remained in her body.

"Who would have been the ideal mate for Hiei?"

Mukuro was sprinkling in the oregano. Dashes of butter, vodka sauce. Oh, it was going to be a fantastic meal, anyone could see.

"Someone who loves him." She was stirring around the noodles, evening everything out. "I... I would have loved him. I would have cared for him... we could have ruled Makai together." Mukuro poured herself some wine. "I love him."

Botan's eyes were trained on the ground. Mukuro's voice was defeated and tired. She sounded like an old woman who was fighting cancer. She held the tone of someone who had the fondest dreams, the greatest plans, and the devotion that would please any man. But... now all that meant nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"I know."

Mukuro slopped the pasta onto a plate.

"What do you know, Botan?" She spat her name like venom. "You're unaware of what love is."

The demon locked eyes with Botan.

"I may lack that knowledge, but one day I might find it."

"With Hiei? Doubt it."

"Maybe. Maybe someone else."

The sound of metal hitting the plate echoed throughout the room. Mukuro took one of Botan's kitchen knives, and in seconds had the ferry girl pressed into the cabinets, the shining steel pressed up against her throat.

"You better hope not." Botan couldn't even choke, the knife too close to allow any movement except shallow breaths. "If you cheat on him... no matter how fake this marriage is, I _**will**_ hunt you down." Her brown eye was not wrinkled in a frown full of malice. In fact, her voice was not hissing and spitting. Mukuro was quite calm. In fact, one might say, a bit sad. "If you are going to find love at all it _**will**_ be with Hiei Jaganshi, understand?"

Not having much choice in the matter, Botan nodded.

"Y-yes."

Mukuro backed off, setting the knife on the counter. She pulled Botan down, helping her to the table, lowering her to the chair. She gave her the plate, and quickly made up her own, sitting across from her. Botan stared at her dish, slowly lifting the fork and swirling spaghetti around it. Her heart was beating too fast to allow her to do much of anything else except spin that pasta around. And around, and around.

"Besides... it's not like you're _that _bad." Mukuro chewed her food, swallowing before continuing. "He was right, you know." Botan could only look up as Mukuro shook her head, amused at something that sparkled the nostalgic past. "You really are skilled at white magic, the best out there."

Botan lifted up the fork, sliding the pasta into her mouth.

Her pink eyes widened, the taste outrageous as it settled on her tongue.

_Wow... it really is delicious._

IX

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please read. Funny, I finish this chapter when I'm having a really bad day... hm. Well, anyway, I'm listening to the Bohemian Rhapsody. It's amazing. Anyway, please review! I love to hear from you? Did you like this better/believe the situations? I hope so. Please review.

-mia

p.s. The _Ba-dum_ isn't a heart beat, it's power/energy. Just an fyi.


	11. Kiss

Marriage by Law: Kiss

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you liked it, so here is the next installment. Sorry that it's been so long, but I had to do school work and such. Read and Review!

I

"_I'm not a monster!"_

A loud voice clawed into Hiei's ears, yanking him back into consciousness. The fire demon opened his eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling. He removed the wet cloth from his forehead, tossing it aside. His body was covered by a thin cloth, and his hands confirmed that it was a cotton sheet. He sat up slowly, listening to the sounds so he gathered information on his surroundings.

"_It's you! You are the monsters!"_

There was that voice again. Hiei lifted the sheets to his nose. They smelled like... the earth after a day's rain. _Botan. _They smelled like Botan. The Koorime frowned, his eyes glowing in the darkness. He was in _Botan's _bed. He had been _sleeping_ in the bed of his forced-on-him-by-a-stupid-law-wife.

And that was unacceptable.

Music began to play. It was a tune from a music box, yet it was hopelessly sad, even to him.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, the demon stood.

His bare feet were silent on the wood floor, the door creaking open as he peered out into the ferry girl's living room.

"_I think... I think I'd like to sleep now, if that's quite alright."_

Botan was sitting on the couch, her eyes half-lidded and wet spots were on the blanket she was holding. Her hair was down, the light from the television screen illuminating the rom. The machine crackled as more of the nostalgic music played. Hiei stepped out of her room so that he didn't feel like a voyeur.

"Oh. You're awake." She sniffed and made a move to stand, but a long yawn stopped her. "Are you okay?"

The tone of her voice made Hiei bite his tongue.

"I'm fine now."

"Good."She yawned again as he sat down next to her. "I was worried that," another yawn, "you wouldn't wake up."

"Why are you still awake?"

Her clock read 4:27 a.m., and even with the limited knowledge of human customs that he had, he knew that the ferry girl should have been asleep by now. She was literally pinching herself to stop nodding off.

"Well, I didn't want to sleep unless... unless I knew that you were alright." Botan followed Hiei's gaze to the television. "Oh, I was watching _The Elephant Man_. It's an old film."

"Hn." He reached out, pulling her to him. "Idiot."

II

"_He'll be fine. You shouldn't worry."_

"_But... but you __**poisoned **__him."_

"_So? It's not going to kill him."_

Mukuro's calm words kept echoing in Botan's head. _Poisoned... she poisoned the man that she loves..._

It was too bizarre.

But not as bizarre as what was happening now.

Hiei... Hiei Jaganshi was pulling her to him, his arms fastening around her as he let her back touch his chest. He was holding her a little too tightly, as if he thought she was going to struggle.

"Hiei..."

He was silent, merely squeezing her hand. Botan laced her fingers with his, hoping that it gave the obviously troubled fire demon comfort. She sighed, trying to calm her panicking heart. Hiei, however, had another idea.

Images appeared in Botan's mind.

The first was the strangely fuzzy picture of Mukuro and herself. Black spots were dotting the edge, and Botan watched herself widen her eyes, her limp body in Mukuro's arms. Even though Botan feel Hiei's strong arms around her, her stomach still dropped when Hiei fell to the floor, the memory dissolving away.

The next was definitely not a remembrance. The colors were too pale and soft. It took a few seconds before she realized that she was being shown dreams. _Hiei's dreams._

Botan watched as Mukuro dropped her, laughing coldly. She saw Mukuro pull Hiei's sword from its sheath, running her tongue along the blade as "dream-Botan" broke into hysterics.

The dream changed.

Now Botan was struggling to focus. She could not see. Something was right in front of Hiei's eyes, either that or... his eyes were really... _really _off.

All Botan could make out was the blue color of her hair that had dark crimson stains in it.

Salt water rushed into Botan's mouth, her eyes closing as she forced herself to swallow her nausea. She was dead. In Hiei's dreams... he thought that Mukuro was going to kill her.

_Hiei had a nightmare... about me._

The macabre scene faded away, the glow of the television bringing Botan back. She blinked, her breathing oddly steady. Hiei was still holding her hand, the other on her waist.

Still shaking the foggy memories away, the ferry girl grabbed the remote, shutting off the tv. Darkness engulfed them.

"W-well... I doubt I'll be sleeping anytime soon." Botan forced herself to laugh, her smile gross and fake. Hiei loosened his grip. "Your nightmares... did... they didn't happen, obviously." Hiei remained silent, not unlike himself. "Were you really that worried?"

Botan turned at his silence, still blinded by the darkness, turned and looked towards him.

III

Hiei felt his wife move, turning slowly and a bit clumsily so that she was facing him. Her question hung in the air like an executioner's hand. _Were you really that worried?_ Worried was not the right word because that was not, in the slightest, how the Koorime felt at all.

Worried was not having nightmare after nightmare, half of which he couldn't even show to his wife. Worried was not fighting endlessly to wake up, only to slide further down into darkness. Worried was not... a fear so new and yet always present.

No... Hiei had not been worried.

Instead, he had thought what his life would be like without the bubbly human spirit. He thought of her just fading out of all the memories he ever had of her. He thought of how she had cheered Yusuke and Kuwabara on in the Dark Tournaments. If she hadn't been there... the gloom of reality would have consumed them all.

Going back further, to Yukina's rescue, if Botan hadn't been there to forge a friendship with his sister... Yukina would have had trouble finding a place to live.

Hiei could get annoyed by her, sure, but though all his death threats he knew that he would _never_ act on them. He _knew _that the Rekai Tentei needed her even if she wasn't a fighter. Through her sly jokes and constant chatter, she uplifted the spirits of his teammates.

In fact.. Koenma would have been intolerable if it wasn't for her. When Kurama and Hiei were forced to work for the bratty Prince, Botan made sure to bring them their missions in person. Every time she let herself into their quarters she would be smiling, bouncing with bubbly cheer.

Botan, even if she didn't realize it, was more important than she knew.

Hiei would not allow her to come to harm for the good of all his other friends who loved her more than he ever could.

His heart stopped at her gasp, and, to his horror, he had not deactivated his telepathic connection with her. _She just heard everything... everything that I just thought..._

Suddenly, darkness was no longer Hiei's friend. Curiosity nibbled at the edges of his sanity. She was so quiet, which was not normal. It made the short demon feel unbalanced. If only she would make a sound, a giggle, a sigh, _anything _that would give him a clue as to what she was thinking_._

Instead, he felt her smooth hand touch his face. Right on his eyebrow. Her fingers traced it, running down the side until she reached his cheek. Hiei had to fight down the urge to jump as another set of fingers wove themselves in his hair. Touch was new... very new, and all he could do was sit back and just let her explore his skin.

His nose, his neck, his lips... that was where she stopped. It was the lightest whisper, her fingers on his lips. A curious little swipe, but enough to be noticed. The fire demon closed his eyes, letting his buried instincts respond by sliding his claws up her arms, feeling the warm fabric of her pajamas.

He drew circles in her skin, his eyebrows rising and his eyes opening when bumps raised on her skin. She moved her hands to his forehead, lightly dragging her fingers across the skin. He hissed lightly, a strange and not entirely unpleasant tingle dancing down his spine. Hiei moved to her shoulders, smirking when he found a particularly sensitive spot near a pressure point.

Her fingers touched his lips again, and everything stopped.

His hands withdrew slowly, his thoughts struggling to catch up with his uncharacteristic actions. _What have I done? _She pulled her hand back. _Did I... was I comforting her... or myself?_ The reasons began to blur together in a mess of strange colors.

The hues burned especially bright when he felt her lips brush up against his.

IV

If you were to ask Botan why she did it, she would still not be able to say why. Perhaps it was the pain that she felt inside of herself and her husband. Perhaps it was the lovely message that he had not intended for her to hear. Yes... all those things would have explained her actions perfectly.

But... she was not entirely certain if it was any of those reasons at all.

She was drunk on the moment. In her long and lonely existence, she had never experienced such a strong moment of companionship. His hands wandering her body in innocent voyages... such a new and lovely action that was returned eagerly by her. Touching Hiei... it was like conducting a beautiful piece of music. Or painting with your fingers. It was beautiful. To have such a warrior, an impeccable specimen of a demon beneath her... it was intoxicating.

Botan had been hypnotized. By his feel, his touch, his overall aura. Hiei would always remain a mystery to her. A cold mystery that she never intended to solve. But when her fingers touched his lips for the second time... a jolt of electricity shot through her.

It was _nothing _like Keiko had described.

At that moment, the planets aligned, the moon eclipsed, and time stopped. The stars all looked down at them, watching them with eager faces as the two beings were suspended in space and time. It was the high of discovery, the strings of violins floating on the breeze and a voice rippling across the water.

It was as if the universe was _inside _of her. Botan was overjoyed, nervous, and a bit bubbly as she leaned down and kissed Hiei.

He didn't move at first, though his lips were warm. The ferry girl did not pull back, but instead kissed the side of his mouth, her hands guiding her as she followed her fingers. She placed light kisses on his cheek, his brow, his forehead... on and on until his hands caught her wrists.

His breathing had quickened. One could even say that he was _panting. _

Botan began to feel dizzy with a raw emotion that she had never felt before. Staring into the darkness, her entire body trembling with disbelief at her boldness. She was frozen in his hands, waiting. Hiei answered her.

He kissed her, his lips capturing her's very gently. He was gentle, moving to her cheek, brow, and forehead, mirroring her actions.

Joy was pouring out of her very being.

V

Hiei did not move. Botan's lips were on his. _She kissed me!_

Though he thought to push her away, he could not deny how it set fire to the ice that had encased his bones for all those years. He was spinning wildly as she kissed his face, treating him like he was more precious than diamonds. His very inner being responded, returning her gracious gift.

She was a drug, his movements deliciously sluggish as he moved, sitting up straight. Comfort. Yes, comfort was the reason he was doing it. Right? Now he wasn't so sure as she sighed, her smile pressing against his lips. Suddenly, the room lit up.

Light was shimmering from her, stars twinkling in the air. They both stopped, each one a bit startled. Hiei's red eyes drank her in. Her blue hair down, her pajamas a light shade of blue, almost white. Her lips, her eyes, the blush glowing on her cheeks... it all was taken in by the half fire demon half Koorime. His eyes stopped at the ring on her hand.

She was still smiling, her eyes slightly glazed.

Hiei suddenly realized that neither of them had spoken once.

He reached forward, sparks under his fingertips as he touched her face, tucking some hair behind her ear. The light that burned bright seemed to have a voice of its own, the ethereal harmony of a choir floating around them.

Botan grinned, and Hiei opened his mouth to speak. Her finger stopped him, still smiling at him playfully.

"Sh." She leaned forward, their foreheads touching. "There's no need for words."

They seemed to melt into each other, Hiei's eyes closing as she kissed his neck, back up to his cheek and brow. Though he would never admit it, he agreed whole-heartedly with her. Words could not justify their actions, nor did they need to. They were lost, hopelessly lost in each other, but... but that didn't matter. With each kiss they exchanged, more and more of the world slipped away from them.

Hiei had to say, the world was quite a wonderful place.

VI

Mukuro stood outside of the cottage, her eyes dreary as the cold nipped at her. She was tired. Too tired to care about the light that shimmered from Botan's house. She could feel the strange tickling on the back of her neck. Something private was going on in there.

She turned and began to walk away in the dark, humming the song of a widow.

VII

Genkai sat outside, ignoring the cool winter air. The stars were especially bright tonight in the absence of the moon. She sipped some tea and continued to stare.

"Genkai? What are you doing out in the cold?"

Yukina stuck her head out of the temple's door. Kuwabara and her were visiting for the weekend, making sure that she would not get lonely. The Koorime joined her dear friend on the cold stone step, her eyes on the sky.

"The stars are such a sight tonight." The old woman sighed, her age showing in her voice. "I haven't seen a night like this in many years." The ice maiden shifted, hugging Kuwabara's jacket closer to her. "You have something on your mind."

"I do." Yukina's eyes never left the sky. "Do you think we will all be okay, Genkai? This sudden marriage as put us all in a whirl, but we are all rather friendly with each other... but... my brother..."

She trailed off, gesturing slightly with her hands. Genkai sipped her tea.

"A strange thing, love is." Her breath puffed out in front of her. "You'll see soon, Yukina, that companionship can be found in the oddest of places. Those pair, they are like night and day. Daylight is so curious of the darkness, and night is just as equally fascinated with day. The only time they get a glimpse of each other is at dusk... which leaves them at quite a conundrum."

The younger looking demon sighed.

"Then they will never find each other. Though they keep on searching, they will never be able to seeeach other."

"That's not exactly true."

"No?"

"Well, maybe it is... but I like to think that every time that the sun rises, its rays stretching out in the darkness... I'd like to believe that it is then that they play and love together, embracing for that short and sweet bit of time."

Yukina blew out a long breath, leaning back on the stairs, her legs spread out as she laid back.

"Do you think that will happen?"

Genkai shrugged, her gravelly voice dry, a bit hoarse.

"Who knows? I'm just saying... many things that are not intended can end up occurring anyway. Fate is a giggling child, gleeful and a total mystery." A silence stretched between the two women. Genkai grunted. "The stars are truly beautiful tonight..."

VIII

Dawn's light began to dance through the windows when Hiei's head finally stopped swimming. His heart was still fluttering, his chest in a weird state. Never before had he felt so light and carefree. He looked down to see his wife snuggling closer to him. Her pajamas brushed against his clothes as she let out a sleepy sigh.

"Mm..."

Hiei blinked, his face still stone. He pulled up the blanket, covering the both of them. Botan let out a groan in appreciation.

What exactly had just transpired?

A spell. A spell of... _what?_

He hadn't mated with her, and all they had done was kissed each other, over and over again. A light shimmer still remained around Botan, whose lips were currently resting on his neck. Still, Hiei never moved to push her away. His arms held her close to him, his body relaxing under her.

"Mm... am I too heavy?"

"Hn. Botan... who do you think I am?"

"You're Hiei Jaganshi... who just said my name for the—"

He kissed her lazily, smiling against her lips. She was satisfied with his answer, finally falling asleep.

Hiei watched her breathing slow, her heart beating against his.

_What had just happened?"_

He may never know... he may regret it later... or worse, she could regret it.

But now... at that present moment in time, Hiei didn't give a damn. He closed his eyes and let his soul drift off to that lovely feeling of airiness. He floated towards the choirs voice and towards Botan's light. She mumbled in her sleep, causing the fire demon to move his hand to her head, running his fingers through her hair.

_Sleep... sleep and see where this road takes us..._

IX

A/N: Whoa... whoa. For some reason (though to you it may seem too fast for them) it seemed perfect for me. Well, if you didn't think it was good or you are just plain old cranky, don't be afraid to let me know! Did it make you smile, or did it make you get indigestion? All kinds of reviews are welcome!

-mia

p.s. I was listening to Yeal Naim's "Paris" which I think should be playing during the kissing scene. All of it. Give it a listen if you want the real affect of this chapter that it had on me, thanks!


	12. Honesty

Marriage by Law : Honesty

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Sorry that I haven't updated, I've been in the musical and finally I'm done with it! It was great, but now I have time to... have a life (wait, what am I doing on the computer?). Well, Read and Review!

I

Kuwabara pulled off his shirt slowly, stretching as he did so. He rubbed his face, trying not to think about his wife. _Yukina... she's so innocent... she doesn't know what being married means. _The young man unzipped his jeans, kicking them off of his legs.

He turned as the door creaked, Yukina peeking inside.

"Hey, Yukina." Kazuma tried not to blush at his shirtless state. However, Yukina did not notice, or maybe she didn't care. It was her silence that made him look down at her hands. They were filled with tear gems. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" When her hands started to shake, Kuwabara took them into his hands, trying to make eye contact with the ice maiden. "Yukina, just tell me what ha—"

He found himself abruptly cut off by the softest pair of lips in the Three Worlds. His mind began to spin as he lost himself in a drugging kiss, his tongue flicking out to lick his lower lip.

Kuwabara left her lips, his hands slipping down her shoulders as he planted kisses down her neck.

"Oh..." Yukina's head rolled back, her eyes closing. "_Kazuma—_"

That cry snapped him back to the present. He had to step back. His hands were clutching the sash to her kimono. His breath caught when he saw that her eyes were dilated, her chest heaving.

She wasn't the only one who was affected by the slip of sanity. Kuwabara prayed that she didn't look down, more specifically, below his waist. She didn't.

Instead, she pounced on him, running her hands over his chest. Kuwabara grit his teeth and closed his eyes, his body screaming in protest as he grabbed her hands, gently pushing her away.

"Y-Yukina..." He held his breath, trying to slow his heart. "Wait... just... wait." She wouldn't have it. She panted as she kissed his chest, slowly breaking down his control. Kuwabara squeezed her arms, trying not to become aroused. "Stop!"

Snow began to fall outside. Yukina's lips curled into a pure white smile, her hazel eyes sparkling.

"I don't want to be day and night with you." She saw confusion appear on her husband's face. "I-I don't want to be far from you... I love you and I don't want to be far from you... I love you and I don't want... this to be fleeting."

Tear gems fell from her eyes. Instantly, Kuwabara's soul softened.

"Come here." He took her into his arms, embracing her petite body. "This isn't fleeting, Yukina. I love you too." He sighed kissing her forehead. "It's okay. Don't cry."

Her trembling stopped. She turned her head and kissed him. They slowly began to melt into each other. It was when Yukina started to untie her sash that Kuwabara stopped her, his hand grabbing her wrist.

"Kazuma, what's wrong?"

She was so soft, her chest brushing against his shoulders. Kazuma groaned. He had dreamed of his day for so long, but now that it was happening, he found himself dumb with shock. All those fantasies had been just that, a _fantasy_. Not only was the real thing happening, it was also so much more... pleasing.

"Yukina... I don't w-want to r-r-rush you into anything... the last thing I w-w-want to do is to t-take a-advantage of you."

The room was hot, Kuwabara's face bright red. Yukina giggled, grinning a bit.

"You're stuttering. I can't believe it." She leaned over him, letting her hair down. "I want you to... teach me." Kuwabara still wasn't moving. Yukina kissed him slowly, closing his hand around her sash. "_Teach me..._" His eyes were closed even when her hands ran through his hair. _"Kazuma... Please..."_

That was all it took for Kuwabara to tear her sash off, lowering her to the bed.

II

Velvet light seeped through the windows. It shrouded the entire room with a benevolent air. The gentle caress slowly roused Hiei from sleep, easing his blood-red eyes open to the morning sun.

_Mhm._ Hiei's mind slowly cleared. _What... what time is it?_ A thick quilt was draped over him, pushing him into the couch. He was alone. Botan was gone. With a weary sigh, the fire demon sat up.

_Nine hours._

A new record. He stood up, the wood creaking under his feet. Hiei walked into the kitchen. Still, no Botan. He checked in the bedroom, the dining room, the attic, the bathroom, and even the shower. Still, no Botan. Her scent was still clear. _She's only just left._

A deep frown was beginning to settle on his face as he stalked into the kitchen. He found a glass and began to fill it with water. Then he noticed a note taped to the refrigerator.

_Hiei, I have to start ferrying again today. I'll be back around nine. From, Botan. _Hiei folded up the note, slipping it into his pocket. After finishing his water, the clocks became too loud.

Pretty soon Hiei was racing back to Japan.

III

Botan yawned. She woke to the faint sound of her compact-communicator going off. She moaned, not wanting to wake up so soon, but duty was literally calling.

She tried to push herself up, but found herself stuck. Pink eyes started down to see Hiei's arms still holding her down. It took some tricky maneuvering, but she was able to gently pry him off. The ferry girl quickly shuffled to her bedroom, fumbling for the light.

"Botan here."

"Good morning, Botan. It's Koenma." Squinting pink eyes could barely make out the Prince tilting his head to the side. "Whoa, did you just wake up?"

Botan nodded, swallowing a yawn as she rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah... I was up late last night." She paused, staring off screen. "I was... watching a movie."

"Which one?"

"_The Elephant Man_."

"Classic." He cleared his throat. "The reason I called is... well... your vacation his over so... you'll need to come and ferry souls again."

"Ugh... Koenma..."

"You'll get weekends off!"

"Fine. I'll be right there."

Botan clicked her compact shut. She lazily took off her pajamas, slipping on her undergarments and then her pink kimono. Tying her sash tightly, Botan lumbered to the kitchen.

_Wait..._

With a rush of adrenalin, Botan bolted to the living room, her eyes wide. Hiei was _sleeping _on the couch. _Oh God! I slept on top of him! Real classy, Botan. _She approached the sleeping demon with caution.

_We kissed. We kissed a lot last night. _Botan bit her thumbnail. Her stomach began twisting itself into knots. _I mean... I thought it was a good idea at the time..._ Hiei stirred, causing Botan to flinch.

_Damn..._

In a rash act, Botan ripped the quilt off of her bed and draped it over her husband in an attempt to keep him unconscious and comfortable.

Botan slowly walked into the kitchen, her heart pounding. In a daze, she wrote out a note explaining where she was going to be.

She crept out, slowly closing the front door behind her.

IV

Kuwabara stared at the ceiling. He had never felt so... complete. He turned his head to gaze at Yukina's face. She was sleeping, her body still glowing with beauty. He kissed her forehead lightly before he rolled out of bed, grabbing his cell phone off of the table.

He dialed the numbers to Yusuke's phone and slipped out of the bedroom.

"Kuwabara, this better be good."

"Ah, Urameshi, I'm glad you're awake!"

"Well, I'm not."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes, but then he remembered why he called his best friend.

"Um... Yusuke... I need your help—"

"Did Yukina finally catch you strokin' it to her picture?"

"What? No!"

"Well then, what's the problem?"

Kuwabara never had been the type who was eloquent with words. Now that he was trying not to be blunt, he began stumbling.

"Um... um I want to know... can you, as in demons, tell when... a... person has lost their virginity?"

Yusuke didn't miss a beat.

"Yeah, sure! It's all in a person's aura, really—" Then it hit im. "Oh... shit Kuwabara."

"Yeah."

He could hear Yusuke sigh on the other end.

"Tell you what, come over to my house tomorrow for lunch. We'll figure this out then."

"Okay."

"Goodnight."

"Wait!" Kuwabara clutched the phone. "Do you think Hiei will kill me?"

Another long pause.

"Maybe. Eh, we'll figure something out."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem."

V

Kurama was heating up tea when he heard his window open. His green eyes widened when he saw Hiei crouching on his kitchen counter.

"Good morning, Hiei. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Hn." Kurama handed Hiei a cup of piping hot peppermint tea. "Thank you."

The fox sat next to his friend, his feet dangling in front of the cabinets.

"How have you been?"

"Fine."

"Mukuro—"

"She's fine. Everyone is okay." Kurama let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. The silence ticked by, and it was Hiei who broke down. "Botan kissed me last night."

Kurama choked on his tea.

"What?"

"Botan kissed me last night."

"Yes, I heard that. Why?"

Hiei took a sip of his tea, trying not to scowl.

"I don't know."

"Did you kiss her back?

A slight pause.

"Yes."

"Did you like it?" The hack of eye contact and the stony silence was more than enough for an answer. "I'll take that as a yes." Hiei's shoulders sagged with guilt as he continued to drink his tea. Kurama wiggled his toes, running his hands through his hair. "If you liked it, then what's the problem?"

Hiei placed his cup down on the counter.

"I don't know what to do." The fox raised his red brows. "What do I say? I'm not like you. I can't string words together poetically with charm and grace."

Kurama slid off his counter-top.

"I can't tell you what to do, Hiei."

The fire demon sighed.

"I know you would say that."

Kurama put the two empty cups in the sink.

"Be nice."

Hiei opened the window, slipping out just as quietly as he had entered.

"I'll try."

VI

Botan never stopped yawning. All day she just waited for time to pass by faster. When she was finally done she stumbled into Koenma's office. Her pink eyes were closed as she groaned.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm tired." She plopped down on a hair, letting her hair down. It was starting to curl at the ends as she tried to smooth it out in vain. "Ugh."

Her good friend looked up from behind the massive stack of papers on his desk.

"Hiei?"

"Eh."

"Yes?"

"Kind of."

Koenma got up, scuttling over to the ferry girl.

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?"

Her pink eyes opened, her voice lowering as she leaned close to him.

"I... I kind of... kissed him last night and..."

"Kind of kissed? How do you do that?"

"Fine, I kissed him!"

"And?"

Pink began to slowly spread up her face like a skin disease.

"We just kissed."

"So he kissed back."

"Yes."

Koenma frowned.

"Well then what's the problem?"

"What's the problem? The problem is it's _Hiei Jaganshi_ we're talking about here! He's not just some regular guy who kisses girls left and right! He's Hiei!" Botan let out an exasperated breath. "Ah. Forget it. I'm going home."

The Prince, still whirling, blinked slowly.

"Good luck."

VII

By the time Botan flew back to England it was ten. Her eyes were tired, her legs were aching, and her mind hadn't rested since she woke up. The door squeaked as it closed behind her. Her hands automatically stretched out, feeling the walls and various tables and doors. Her eyes were utterly blind. Dead.

With a bit of fumbling, she finally made it to the bathroom. She flipped on the light, squinting.

_Please... Enma if you're listening to me..._ She took tired steps towards the bathtub. She cranked up the hot water, only to find that it was cold. _Damn. _

"Come on..."

"What?"

Botan almost fell into the freezing waters, clutching her hand over her heart.

"Christ, Hiei! You gave me a heart attack."

Hiei narrowed his scrutinizing eyes.

"You're heart is fine."

"No, it's an express—ughh." Botan found herself frustrated and tired. "Sorry. I, uh... the day is just not working for me." Her husband stared blankly at her. "And now the heat isn't working for the water..." Botan began to mutter to herself absentmindedly. "Great, now I'm going to be so gross tomorrow—"

"Does it really matter that much to you?"

It was then that it finally occurred to Botan that Hiei was not someone she could "vent" to.

"Oh, no! It's nothing, really—" The Koorime held up his hand, silencing her. Without speaking a word he marched up to the tub and stuck his hand under the water. His blood red eyes narrowed slightly and with a small _pop_ the water had turned from frigid to steaming. "Thanks."

"Hn."

He turned, closing the door behind him. Botan quickly stripped off her clothes and hopped in the tub. She was beginning to pour salts in and shampoo her hair when her mouth got the better of her.

"Hiei?"

He cracked open the door, his back to her.

"What?"

"A) The water is getting cold again and B) Are you mad at me?"

The short man bristled, his jaw locking.

"I'm keeping my eyes closed." He slowly made his way to the bathtub. He jumped when Botan took his hand and guided it to the water. It steamed up in an instant. "No. I'm not mad." Instead of leaving, he merely sat down next to her. "Why would I be mad?"

"I kissed you."

"So?"

Water sloshed as Botan rinsed her hair.

"Um... no reason." Pink eyes peered over the edge. "Do you want to go back to Makai?"

Hiei shrugged, his eyes meeting her's briefly.

"I will have to eventually."

"I felt like I was keeping you here... that's why I asked."

VIII

The tiles on the bathroom floor were perfectly aligned with one another. It was going to drive Hiei mad. But that wasn't what was really getting to him. Maybe it was his wife's clothes lying on the floor, the lavender scent from the shampoo, or how her skin felt so slick against his hand. _If I don't lose my mind by the end of the night, it will be a miracle. _

"You're not keeping me here." She wasn't. He was staying of his own free will. Strange as it was, he felt as if he should stay. He had no official reason yet, but it was a feeling. "Botan?"

"Mm?"

He paused.

"Why do you care so much?"

Botan was draining the bath.

"Um... I don't understand..."

"I've done nothing for you. Not a lot of your friends have. You're very gracious when it comes to people."

"Can you hand me the towel?" Hiei already had it in his arms, merely handing it over the porcelain tub. "Thanks." She shifted around a bit. "I believe that everyone is good inside so... I just... no matter how conceited or fake this sounds... I just look past all the facades people put up and just treat them for who they really are."

The clocks were not as loud now. Hiei heard her stand up slowly, trying not to slip. He remained sitting. It was times like these that made Hiei just stop and stare (well, not stare in this case, but think). It struck Hiei that Botan was certainly an enigma.

"You're not being conceited." He stood up and walked to the door, and finally he turned ever so slowly to cast his gaze on his towel-clad wife. She was more beautiful than he liked to admit, and as he tried not to pay attention to her legs that were still moist or her chest that was barely covered to begin with. He heaved a sigh. _Why did you have to turn around, Hiei? You always have to look. _"You're just telling the truth."

It might have been the water that made her eyes so vibrant. Hiei would never figure it out. She smiled, turning away. However, her smile was not happy. Not happy at all. Even as a few tears rolled down, her smile only got wider. _Curious indeed. _She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, walking out into the living room with him.

"Hiei, that's got to be one of the most honest things a person has ever said to me."

IX

A/N: Thanks for the read. I'm kind of at a loss of where to go from here, but don't worry, I'll find something. I always find something. Please leave a review! All criticism welcomed!

-mia

p.s. The chapter was full of dialogue because I've been watching a lot of foreign films lately and I love their dialogue. It's always so witty and fun that I tried to incorporate it (and probably failed) in this chapter.


	13. Christmas Eve

Marriage by Law : Christmas Eve

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Keep on leaving them. I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but finals and school... and looking for colleges is kind of a smack in the face for me... so... yeah. Read and Review!

I

_Snow melted into Hiei's clothes. He blinked, coming to in a fuzzy haze, his mouth dry. Rubbing his eyes clear, Hiei saw Botan's cottage. The stars turned their heavenly gaze down at him as he slowly walked towards it._

_Smoke curled up form the chimney. He could smell the fire and hot chocolate that lay inside. As Hiei got closer, he saw a window where dots of color and light. It teased him, whispering tantalizing words in his ear, coaxing him closer. He made his way towards the window. The window to another world._

_His red eyes stared at... a tree that had been pulled inside. It was decorated modestly, and suddenly Botan walked into the frame. She carried little spheres with hooks, placing them delicately on the branches. He heard music. Botan swayed, clothed in a dark blue dress. Her back... it was exposed more than Hiei would like. He would have to say something._

_She opened her mouth and started to sing._

_Hiei's breath fogged the window. He frantically wiped it clean. He never knew she could sing, and was a bit irked that he had been so ignorant. _

_A man walked in, his strides long and confident. Hiei watched as his wife finished her song, smiling warmly at the stranger. That curl of her lips being directed at another man made Hiei's fists clench. He did not know why, for he had rarely received it from her himself. _

_However, when the man reached forward, entwining his fingers with hers', a rush of heat flooded the fire demon's body. All the snow around him melted, his clothes soaked. Hiei opened his mouth, his fangs brushing the inside of his mouth._

"_Hey!"_

_They couldn't hear him. The man leaned forward and __**kissed**__ the ferry girl a loud growl, Hiei slammed his fist through the window. Botan never turned, but the man... he laughed. It was a chuckle that was similar to dark chocolate covered in blood. Sinful, addicting, and poetic. _

_The man turned slowly, pulling Hiei's wife closer to him as she kissed his cheek. He was mocking him. Hiei scowled as the man turned to him, smirking._

_Hiei's fists stopped clenching. His entire body relaxed when he saw who the an was. The "stranger" shrugged, then waved at Hiei._

_Hiei blinked._

_He was staring at himself._

Hiei shook himself. He was in Makai, patrolling the border of Human World, tossing back the curious. He never "dozed off" during work. Pulling his coat tighter around him, Hiei stalked on. His shift ended at seven. It was only three. For the first time in his entire life, Hiei willed time to move faster.

II

Kuwabara jumped at the knock on the door. Yukina flittered around the kitchen.

"Could you get that, Kazuma? Yusuke and Keiko must have come early."

The door swung open, and sure enough, the Urameshiswere smiling back at him. Keiko hurried to help Yukina, leaving the two men alone. Kuwabara nodded his head towards the door, silently telling his friend to follow him outside. Yusuke waited until out of earshot.

"God, it's all over you."

Flushed red, Kuwabara smiled sheepishly.

"Um... well we loved each other so..."

Yusuke shook his head, blowing a large stream of air out his mouth, watching it puff into clouds.

"Jesus, aren't you a pair of kids? Sheesh." The two men stood, the most painful awkward silence engulfing them. Kuwabara tugged his jacket. Yusuke's face turned red, his cheeks puffing out as he tried to hold in his breath. He failed. "Fuck, who am I kiddin', congratulations!" Yusuke slugged Kazuma in the shoulder, grinning. "Come on, be happy! You got with the girl you've dreamed about for years!"

Kuwabara smiled, his brow furrowed with anxiety.

"Yeah, yeah, but Hiei—"

"Hiei won't do anything. He's probably going crazy with Botan."

"What? No way—"

"Not like that, idiot. He's pulling his hair out with some kind of frustration."

III

Nimble hands quickly shuffled in the ancient corners of Spirit World. Biting her bottom lip, Botan squinted as she used a small amount of spirit energy centered in her palm to light her way in the dusty passages. Old files rustled, a strange breeze blowing her hair back. Botan held her breath as she found a glowing torch. She smelled oil, and she grasped the flaming stick in her slightly trembling hand. She cast herself into darkness, throwing the torch towards the bitter smelling fluids.

With a hollow _phoom_, the entire room was lit as the fire raced across the rivers of oil. As soon as the fire peaked, it froze, encased in crystal ice. The room still glowed eerily, but many people would not have taken time to notice or care.

A myriad of other beings would have gaped at the gold, jewels, and ancient artifacts. Botan stepped down golden stairs that had red paintings that dated back to the Mayans etched all the way down the sides. She passed mountains of coins, silver, gold, and diamonds. The ferry girl shuffled past Egyptian crowns and tombs until she came to a twisted totem pole.

Her lips parted when she saw a leather string. Tied to it was were two black feathers, rumored to be from the fallen angel, Lucifer. But it was not the legend that brought the ferry girl there. It was the truth that was about to drive Botan to theft.

The feathers were the remains of the first spirit ever created. His name had been Lucian, the provider of light. He was a warrior, and though his appearance was intimidating to all, he had a heart of gold. He died with the early Native Americans, choosing to let his soul live on in everyday life and nature.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Botan jumped at the booming voice that echoed through the colossal room. Enma stood on the stairs, his body towering over the ancient masterpieces.

"E-Enma, sir, I—"

He held up his hand, slowly descending the stairs. He followed the crystal path of fire, past the relics and riches, and stopped when he was by her side. His dark eyes stared at the necklace as he spoke.

"You've grown braver. You're not shaking." It was true. Botan stood tall, her chin up. She reminded Enma of a solider's widow, always proud. "I was actually planning on giving this to you to give to Hiei when you became mates."

Botan let out an exhale. Partially because of relief, and partly because of pure bafflement.

"Mates? When did you make this decision?"

"Decision? It's not a decision, Botan. It's destiny. When you were created, I saw you with Hiei, the two of you very much in love. At the time, I had no idea who he was." He waited for his ferry girl to speak, but when she remained silent, he continued. "You could imagine how surprised I was when he stole the three treasures and introduced himself as Hiei Jaganshi, a demon born of bloodlust and sin."

Enma gingerly took the necklace off its stand, encasing it in his big hand.

"Then... then what?"

"Then nothing. I still see it now as plainly as I saw it then." His dark eyes glittered happily, locking with pink irises. "You were going to steal this for him." Botan opened her mouth to argue, but a calm wave of God's hand cut her off. "It's fine. I will not punish you."

"Thank you, sir."

The two spiritual beings were surrounded by history and wealth, and yet their eyes strayed from each other.

IV

Kurama poured homemade tea into two cups, waiting for Shizuru to get back from her salon. He sat on the counter, his head leaning against the cabinets for a short while. He just needed to think.

Why did he know that Shizuru favored mint tea above all others? Or her favorite color combinations when it came to getting dressed in the morning?

It was ridiculous. He knew, and Youko knew too, that becoming attached was just asking for pain. Shizuru was a great friend, and their marriage was not full of angst as it might have been for Hiei and Botan. Instead, they lived their lives as friends. _Friends who happened to be bound to each other until death did them part._

With a small 'huff', Kurama slid off the counter and walked into the living room. He had lit incense, and it had done wonders for essence of the room. The tree was just about decorated, just a few more bulbs waiting to be placed on the branches. He picked up a red sphere and placed it up high, just below a gold one.

The door opened, snow spilling in as Shizuru rushed in, her cheeks flushed red from the biting cold. She clutched her bag close to her, the door closing behind her.

"What's in the bags?"

Kuwabara's sister looked up, ingesting the question.

"Oh, presents. For you."

Kurama was genuinely surprised. He had gotten her gifts but had never informed her.

"Can I see?"

"Nope. You will just have to wait, foxy."

Foxy. It was a nick-name that had been forced on him. He didn't mind.

"Fine. I made you tea."

"Mint?"

"Of course."

Her face glowed. It was a rare sight, she usually had a strong grasp on her emotions, her reactions very mellow and serene. However, he was able to witness just how happy she got when she didn't expect kindness. The first time he ever saw that face, a deep primal part of him wanted to be the cause of it. Over and over again.

"Thank you. You're a sweetheart."

She moved, to kiss his cheek. Kurama had been putting an ornament on, and his mind lapsed. Or... perhaps fate really did exist. He turned, to tell her that it was nothing. A "your welcome" would have been very nice. All these things were on the tip of Kurama's tongue. He had planned to say them, honest.

But it didn't work out that way.

He turned and she was leaning, and their lips were the collision point.

Kurama's green eyes widened. He had not been expecting this. Shizuru, judging by the way her shoulders jumped, had not either. They parted, and it was painfully silent. Movies made all situations such as this one so easy. Just pull the girl close, mutter something in a fake macho voice and devour her mouth.

And stuff like that only looked good on paper.

"Kurama?"

"Yeah?"

"Did we just...?"

"Yeah." Kurama could practically hear Youko laughing at his state. He was stuck dumb, and by a woman's lips. Shizuru's lips. Kurama wanted to exhale, but he would have blown his breath in her face. Not exactly a tactful way to ease out of this awkward situation. "Sorry, I shouldn't have turned—"

"No. It's quite alright." She tried to smile. "I didn't mind."

_She's waiting. _Youko's voice taunted him. _Since when does a __**gentleman**__ keep his woman waiting?_ Kurama let his emotions get the better of him, and he kissed her. Again. Shizuru's eyes fluttered shut, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck. She was warm, and Kurama was slipping.

The tea lay on the counter, forgotten.

V

The leather chair in Hiei's office never saw much use. He had never felt the need for it. However, it was getting a workout today. The fire demon sat in his leather chair, his leg bouncing up and down. His brain was buzzing.

Mukuro opened the door, dressed in a robe. She was wringing out her brown hair in a separate, smaller towel. His leg stopped bouncing.

"What's got you so anxious?" He didn't answer. Instead, he narrowed his eyes. "You don't know what to get her, right?"

"Hn."

Rolling her eyes, Mukuro walked over to his desk. She took out a blue pen and thrust it at the floor. As soon as the point touched the cold, black granite, the floor opened up, folding apart to reveal a large, hidden chamber.

Hiei leaned forward, rising to his feet. Mukuro sighed as if it was no big deal. She motioned to the dazzling contents.

"Pick one thing. I'm sure you'll find something." She stepped out of the chamber walking swiftly to the door. "Oh, and stop by my office before you leave. I have something for you."

She left Hiei alone. He had many choices as he walked down into the chamber. Jeweled pendants, sparkling figurines, and remains of powerful demons. As fantastic all the items were, Hiei couldn't see Botan in any of it. She wasn't the type to wear fine furs or gems. She led a simple life and that brought her bliss.

He almost sighed, giving up, until he saw a faint sparkle in the very back.

Creeping forward, Hiei saw a simple silver chain wit ha clear... well it looked like a marble. His clawed finger touched the transparent orb. The sphere exploded with bright flashes of red, white, and violet. He quickly withdrew his hand.

He took the necklace off its holder, pocketing it. His strides were long and calm. Mukuro was fully dressed and dry. She nodded her head, allowing him to come inside. She pat a white box tied together with a red ribbon.

"This is for Botan. Only she can open it." She placed it on her desk. "What did you decide on?"

Hiei pulled out the necklace.

"This."

Mukuro's lips twitched into a sad smile.

"I knew you would. That orb is the window to a person's soul."

Hiei took the box and tucked it under his arm.

"Thank you."

He turned, and just when he was about to leave, Mukuro stood up.

"Hey, Hiei." He turned. "Merry Christmas."

VI

Botan's hands had been at her sides. Suddenly, as a weight appeared inside her fist. Looking down, Botan saw the necklace in her palm, the soft black feathers tickling her skin. Enma blinked slowly.

"Sir..."

"Keep it. It's always been yours to use however you see fit."

"Thank you. Really... thanks."

Enma touched the side of her delicate face.

"Merry Christmas, Botan."

Before she could say anything, a white light enveloped her. All the particles in her body were on fire for a sliver of time. The pain never registered. Her eyes focused and she was in her living room. The feathers still dangled from the string.

It was seven o'clock when Botan began to sing as she decorated the tree.

VII

Kuwabara tried not to think, but even he found that to be difficult. It didn't matter how many jokes Yusuke told or how many drinks Yukina poured, the chilling thought of his impending death weighed down on his thoughts.

Cheesecake left a bitter taste on his tongue. His vision blurred with nausea, and he excused himself, stumbling to the bathroom. He stayed in the hall, his hands pressing on his knees as his back bent. He evened out his breathing, closing his eyes.

_In... Out... In... Out..._

He opened his dark eyes, staring at the bathroom door. He sighed, relieved that he didn't vomit. He stood, his back cracking.

He turned on his right foot, his left foot taking the first step back towards the dining room. His foot never hit the floor. The bathroom door burst open, and a strong hand dragged the human inside.

Kuwabara tried to hold on to the edges of the doorway but he proved to be too weak. He was thrown into the empty bath tub. Groaning, Kazuma Kuwabara squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing the part of his head that collided with the facet.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Hiei. The door was closed. His voice died in his throat.

Kuwabara and Hiei stared at one another, each one wanting the other to talk. The fire demon's hands were in his pockets. He leaned against the sink, his headband glowing.

"I'm not going to kill you, so stop letting fear consume you."

Kuwabara let out a long breath, his body trembling with relief.

"You're not?"

"No."

"Good." Kazuma nodded. "Good."

There was a white box resting on the window sill. Hiei never looked at it, but Kuwabara knew it was his. Before he could ask what was inside, Hiei interjected.

"Your... your aura has changed. Kuwabara might as well have turned to stone. The two men had no experience dancing around such delicate issues. Kuwabara's long legs hung over the side of the tub. Hiei felt sick, his entire body telling him through tremors and twitches that he had every right to end the human's life. But his mind, now matured past mindless violence, understood that he would never cause Kazuma Kuwabara harm as long as his sister loved him. "I trust you lost your virginity to my sister."

Even though his throat was more dry than a desert, Kuwabara was able to speak.

"Yes."

"And she lost her's to you."

"Yes."

Hiei was merely stating facts and Kuwabara confirmed them as if he were answering questions. The fire demon's red eyes dug deeper into Kuwabara's mind.

"She loves you. She loves you, a _human, idiot, _and a _weakling_." his words held no venom as they usually did in their previous conversations. "And you love her back."

Hiei took a necklace out of his pocket. He walked to the window, tucking the white box under his arm. Hiei was wrapping the chain around his fingers when Kuwabara leaned forward, kicking his legs out to get out of the tub.

"What about you? What about Botan?"

The dark demon paused. He was crouched on the sill, the white curtains billowing in the wind.

"None of your business."

Kuwabara blinked. Hiei was gone.

VIII

In the past, Botan spent Christmas Eve with Koenma. She would string up popcorn, and they tied up George with it once. They would sing, laugh, and dance. It was always a fun night full of love and cheer.

Not that this year should be any different... because the truth was, Botan had always loved Hiei. Just as she had loved everyone else. She loved Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Koenma, Yukina, Shizuru, and Keiko. She loved them all for who they are, Hiei included. He scared her at times, sure, but she loved his values and character. She blushed. She found him fascinating.

But never mind about that.

She had changed into a blue nightgown and started a fire. Hot chocolate was heating on the stove, and it certainly _seemed _like a normal Christmas Eve.

The front door opened. Hiei walked in, dusting snow off his shoulders as he took off his scarf. Botan turned, hovering on her oar in order to put on the star. Hiei raised his eyebrows slightly, but quickly hung up his coat.

Botan jumped to the ground, landing softly.

"Hiei?"

He peeked out from behind the kitchen door.

"Hn."

"I've um... got something for you."

Hiei nodded, and placed the white box at the base of the tree.

"Mukuro's gift to you." He never told her what it was. Botan watched as he motioned for her to hold out her hand. She obeyed and could only gaze into his eyes as he placed something cool onto her skin. "And this... this is from me."

When she opened her hand, she almost dropped the elegant necklace.

"_A soul-reader!" _Her pink eyes widened and for a moment, Hiei saw her inner-nerd emerge. She squealed. "I've never seen one... oh and look the colors are changing! Hiei, this is magnificent!"

Botan struggled to put it on, and Hiei let out a strange sound that sounded... well it sounded like a _chuckle. _

"Let me." Botan smiled, bending her knees and letting him secure the clasp. "Hn."

Straightening her back, Botan smiled, trying not to pay attention to her racing heart.

"Turn around and close your eyes." He stared at her as if she were asking him to wear a dress. "Please?"

Hiei's smirk was gone, and he turned around hesitantly, closing his eyes. Botan made sure he wasn't peeking when she reached for the necklace with Lucian's feathers. Hiei tensed when she touched his neck, and when her hands left, he felt a strange, eery power emanating from his chest. He looked down, his eyes landing on two pitch black feathers.

"What... what is this?"

Botan sighed dreamily.

"That, my good sir, is the remains of the first spirit ever created. He was called Lucian, provider of light."

Hiei narrowed his eyes.

"You couldn't be authorized to have this."

"Nope."

"You _stole _it?"

"I was about to. Then Enma just gave it to me." The ferry girl pushed down the memories that followed. About Hiei and her becoming mates. "Go figure."

Hiei's face fell. He had never... in all his days knowing her, thought that she would ever _steal_ from Enma himself. Sure, he had, but he was Hiei Jaganshi. He was able to because it was what everyone expected of him. He touched the two feathers, shivering at how soft and warm they were.

"Just when I thought I knew everything about you... you pull something like this."

He snuck a glance at her only to find her laughing. She ruffled his hair, something _no one _would have ever dared do to him. He was more relaxed, here, however. When he was at home.

_Home._

The word echoed in his mind. Botan, not one who was comfortable with awkward silences, quickly perked up.

"How about some hot chocolate? It should be done by now."

Hiei nodded. They made their way into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

IX

As Yukina and Kuwabara waved goodbye to Yusuke and Keiko, Kurama was lowering Shizuru onto the bed, whispering breathless endearments to her as he nibbled on her neck. His green eyes flashed, and for the shortest moment, they were silver.

Far away, Hiei sipped his hot chocolate. Botan leaned her head back against the cabinets as she kicked her legs restlessly.

"Maybe this marriage will work out."

Shocking to both of them, it had been Hiei who had spoken. Botan nodded, putting down her mug.

"Yeah. Of course." Enma's premonitions echoed in her head. She jumped off the counter. With a grace that Hiei had never witnessed before, she swooped down and kissed him. "This just might work."

X

A/N: Well, I hope you all liked it. I didn't really like this story, so I think the last chapter will be next. Read and review!

-mia


	14. New Beginning

Marriage by Law : New Beginning

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and support, but this IS the last chapter. It's taken me so long to update because, to be honest, it's been hard to find inspiration. But, here it is, and I hope you all like it. Again, I sincerely apologize for not loving this fic as much as I loved all my others. Read and Review.

I

Shizuru laid awake into the early hours of Christmas morning. Her long brown hair was in a disarray on the bed, her entire body flushed as she floated down from her orgasmic high. Though her body cried for sleep, needy to rejuvenate, the human woman slipped out of bed and left a slumbering Kurama behind.

Bare feet quickly guided her to her husband's rose garden, her body relaxing in the pleasant aroma. She settled on the grass, shivering as a breeze blew from the window onto her bare skin.

Her stomach was queasy. Every instinct she had told her to run. Run from the commitment like all the other times. Her brown eyes returned to the ring on her left hand.

_I can't._

Sex had never been a problem for Shizuru. She had always been one to appreciate pleasure and loved to let loose every once and a while. It was the relationship aspect that she was not sure of. When it came to emotions and dedication, she managed to foul up or loose interest in maintaining the two.

Memories resurfaced of a submissive boy she had dated in high school. She hadn't had the chance to have sex with him before she had lost interest. After two weeks she had learned all she needed to know, and knew she was better off alone.

But Kurama wasn't just any _man_. He was a dear and personal friend that she had shared lovely conversations with before they had gotten married. He was a mystery, but also an easy-to-relate-to kind of guy.

Shizuru had once told a boyfriend that their relationship was doomed once he had asked to be more than a friend. She had said, "I tell my friends that I love them everyday, and they say the same to be because we both know it's true. I love all of my friends and I _know_ that. I am _good_ at that. Once you wanted to become _more_ than a friend, I lost to ability to say that I loved you because it would not be in the way that you hoped I meant."

_Friendship is all I will ever be good at._

The urge to smoke a cigarette flared up as her thoughts darkened, her back slumping forward.

_I'll never be able to love Kurama—_

The thought hadn't left her mind before her heart sobbed at the notion. He was a very close friend, and she never wanted to hurt him. She would do anything to avoid it, even if it meant leaving him...

"Shizuru?"

Jumping, the human automatically covered herself up shamefully. Then she realized that it was foolish, seeing as how they had just ravished each other and nudity was a boundary that had been broken.

"Hi."

Kurama had a sheet tied around his waist, giving Shizuru an eyeful of his lean chest. Shizuru brought her knees to her chest, hugging them.

"It's cold out."

She nodded.

"I know."

He sat down next to her, taking off the bedding to reveal that he was just as clothed as she was. The fox wrapped it around Shizuru's shoulders. The gesture made it impossible to breath. Her brain was screaming at her to push him away, that she'd only hurt him. Her heart, however, shriveled at the very thought, painfully squeezing itself to be smaller and smaller as if it were trying to hide.

"What's wrong?"

"We just had sex." She almost giggled at the flush that spread on Kurama's body. Instinct guided her hands as they shifted the blanket that was around her shoulders to wrap around both of them. "I really... I'm not a good girlfriend."

Kurama sighed, his slight smile full of humor.

"You don't have to be my girlfriend. We're married."

It wasn't him claiming her as his territory. Kurama was saying that Enma forced them to skip that step. She didn't have to be perfect.

"Good. That's good."

They remained outside, only clothed in a bed sheet as the scent of roses lulled the unconventional loves to sleep.

II

Kuwabara smiled softly at his wife. Her eyes were drooping as her head began to nod.

"Come on, Yukina. You're tired."

"I'm not," she lied, "I wanna celebrate... our first New Year—"

A yawn swallowed any words that she had planned on saying as she slumped on the couch. Kazuma Kuwabara snorted a he walked over to her, scooping her up into his strong, capable arms.

Yukina let out a moan of protest, but her body snuggled closer to her husband. As Kuwabara opened the door to the bedroom, Yukina arched up in his arms, placing a warm kiss on his throat.

"I love you."

He froze. Every time she said it, he was still left breathless and astonished. She _loved_ him.

"I love you too, Yukina."

III

Easter bloomed in April. Yusuke came home to Keiko waiting for him in their backyard. She was grinning from ear to ear, which could mean a few things. He hoped it wasn't a clue that her parents were there. He loved them, it's just... he liked a warning.

"Hey."

She was bouncing. Literally.

"Hello, Yusuke."

She was wearing a cute white blouse, his favorite one with all the ties. It was like opening a present. Also, she had dug out her plaid skirt that she wore when she taught. Yusuke began to sweat.

"Um... what's the... occasion?"

Keiko bit her lip as she stopped fidgeting.

"Open your hands and close your eyes."

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"Sheesh. Only because I love you."

"Shut up and do it."

"You know I like it when you talk dirty."

The ex-detective snickered as she slapped his shoulder and closed his eyes, opening his hands. He felt her place the object in his palms.

"Okay, open your eyes."

He obeyed. Brown eyes struggled to focus as he found himself staring at a little white stick. Squinting, he saw the blue plus sign before he realized that he was holding a home pregnancy test.

"Keiko... you're pregnant?"

She nodded, still biting her lower lip. Yusuke punched the air, letting out a victory cry as he pulled his wife into a smoldering kiss, untying all of the little ribbons holding her shirt together.

Yusuke growled at her yelp as he lowered her to the cool grass, happy that they had moved to a slightly more private home. His hands ran up her legs as she tugged off his tie and planted hot kisses on his neck and chest.

Fifteen minutes later, Keiko was breathless on the grass with Yusuke laying next to her. She let out a tired laughed.

"And to think I was worried that you wouldn't be happy..."

Yusuke Urameshi pulled her close, grinning.

"For a smart girl, you sure are dumb."

Just before she could hit him, loud voices invaded their post-coital bliss.

"Yusuke Urameshi, there have been calls of complaint due to loud noises and screams. If you do not comply we will be forced to enter the house and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Yusuke had been able to tug his slacks on and sloppily button his shirt as he jogged to the front of his house. His tie still hung loosely from his neck. "What's all this about?"

Multiple police cars were parked in Yusuke's driveway. Four cops saw him, and he knew all of them very well.

"There was a call from your neighbor. She claims that she heard a woman screaming over and over again."

Yusuke's face began to turn a bit pink. Then his wife walked out.

"Is there a problem, officers?"

Now he was red. He turned to see his wife. She had put her clothes on, but there was nothing that could be done about her sex-hair. Not to mention the utterly satisfied expression on her face and her slightly wobbly legs.

All the policemen understood. The leader flushed, a sly grin on his face.

"Ahem, well, try to keep it down next time, okay, Yusuke?"

The ex-detective gave a mock-salute despite his burning cheeks.

"Yes, sir."

IV

Thanksgiving was a holiday that Hiei did not want to understand. He walked home from Makai in the snow, using his heat to melt himself a path. He just cleared the top of the hill when wet, icy slush dribbled down his shoulders.

He turned to see Botan giggling madly.

"What do you think you're doin—"

Snow filed his mouth and he heard his wife snicker with achieved mischief. Hiei wiped his face with his hand, glaring at the ferry girl.

"Too slow, Hiei?"

He let himself growl.

"Don't start something that you don't know how to finish."

Botan had time to shriek before Hiei kicked off. And slipped. He fell without a hint of grace. The fire demon heard snow crunching, his wife running towards him.

"Hiei, are you okay?"

Smirking, Hiei's arm shot out and pulled Botan to the snow covered ground. She screamed as he shoved snow down her coat, pink eyes wide as she hissed.

"Ah, revenge really is sweet."

His voice drawled with smug satisfaction at her squirming. Botan's back arched as ice melted and raced down her skin. As her chest pressed up against him, he felt her hot breath fan over his chilly face.

He couldn't help but kiss her. Botan responded, smiling against his lips. After their first Christmas, they had come to a mutual agreement that their marriage did not have to be a complete disaster. After her kiss that Christmas, he told her that he didn't hate her. In fact, he enjoyed her, probably more than he should.

She nipped at his lower lip playfully. Hiei felt his eyebrows rise. Botan somehow always had a surprise up her sleeve, including boldness.

"Cold?"

Botan nodded. Hiei slipped his hands up her sleeves so that they touched her arms. She was warm before she could say, "please."

He helped her up and walked towards their house. He had his hand on the doorknob when another "snowball" hit the back of his head.

The fire demon sighed. His lips curled.

_Let the games begin._

V

Days turned into months. Months turned into years. Botan thought that her relationship with Hiei had only changed slightly. They kissed, sure, but they were more partners than they were lovers. Botan would cook and stitch up Hiei's wounds while Hiei would come home every night. Sometimes he even slept in her bed.

Home. It was a word that they both used now. It disturbed the ferry girl ever so slightly. The word symbolized a change, a companionship. Every time Hiei said, "I'll be home late," or, "See you when I get home," was a bit startling.

The way he said them was not with the tone of a "tamed" man or a loving husband. His voice still held his flat, tenor pitch. The same one she had heard when he fought Yusuke for the Forbidden Artifacts.

Same old, same old.

Botan would ask him if a certain dish was alright for dinner in the morning, and that would be it. She had souls to ferry while he had memories to erase.

Koenma didn't understand. He was flabbergasted that the fire demon kissed her. He said that all signs pointed to love. "Don't be ridiculous," was always Botan's retort. They had a very precise system going, and Botan refused to even consider love to be a part of the equation.

But... to deny the fact that _something_ had changed for her emotionally would be an ignorant lie. He and her slept together quite regularly. No sex, just the presence of one another. The funny thing was, it started out as them merely occupying the bed, but now he would hold her close, his slow and steady breathing lulling her to sleep.

She should have suspected something when Koenma _insisted_ on helping her cook dinner. Botan would never forget the adrenalin that jolted her soul when Hiei walked through the door. Her brain burned at his surprise shown at a dreadful tug on his lips and brow.

"What are you doing here, Koenma?"

Botan covered up her laughter with a fake series of coughs at her husband's comical anger.

"Just helping Botan cook, Hiei." The Prince of Hell quirked a regal eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

Her boss punctuated his question by resting his elbow on the ferry girl's shoulder. Now both husband _and_ wife narrowed their eyes. _What is he up to?_

"I can cook fine by myself, sir."

Hiei crossed his arms.

"Agreed."

Koenma squeezed Botan's shoulders as he had a staring eye contest with Hiei.

"Fine. I've got to go sign some papers anyway."

As he walked out the door, Hiei followed wordlessly.

VI

"I never knew you were a coward, Hiei."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Koenma's hands were jammed into his coat pocket, a smug grin on his face as he rocked back on his heels. "Her heart is one of the most loving I have ever seen in a single being. You should make a move while you still have a chance."

Hiei watched Koenma flicker out of sight. That night, he held on to Botan tighter as he willed his body to sleep.

It took him a week to admit that the bratty Prince was right. It took two months for Hiei to gather up the courage to ask if she would like to be his mate. Three seconds after the question hung in the air, Botan grinned and kissed him, whispering "yes" over and over again.

VII

(Three years later)

Botan and Yukina strung up lights for her New Year's party. Kuwabara sauntered into their family room, wrapping his arms around his wife, his hand resting on her swollen stomach. His dark eyes squinted as he caught Botan's eyes.

"When's Hiei getting here?"

The ferry girl smiled and shrugged.

"He'll get here when he gets here."

The three friends turned when they heard a child's shrill voice. Keiko opened the door, letting her daughter Kim into the Temple. Yusuke sighed dramatically as he kicked the door shut behind him.

"Christ, Keiko, what have you been feedin' the kid?"

"Auntie Botan!"

Kim raced past Kuwabara's open arms and knocked the ferry girl to the floor with sheer enthusiasm.

"Kimmy!" Botan squeezed the little girl in a loving embrace. "How have you been?"

The little girl wiggled, digging into her pocket.

"Check this out." She held out a police badge. "Daddy got me this patch from work."

She was a doll in Botan's humble opinion. Kurama and Shizuru came shortly after. Botan saw the bite mark on her neck and grinned. _It was only a matter of time._

Greetings were given and they caught up. As Botan stepped outside, the door hesitated before closing behind her. Kurama's soothing voice floated up behind her.

"It's only a matter of time before Hiei figures it out."

The ferry girl sniffed, not turning to meet the fox's piercing gaze.

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of what he'll do when he finds out." Botan's head ducked forward, her hands wiping at her eyes. "I don't want him to hate me."

"Hiei would never hate you. He never has. He mated with you for a reason." Kurama put a comforting hand on Botan's shoulder. "I know Hiei will be a loving father."

Smiling through the controlled tears, Botan whispered.

"But me... a mother?"

"Mother?"

Kurama hissed while Botan jumped at Hiei's questioning voice. His cheeks were slightly pink from the cold, but his eyes held no weakness. Kurama bowed slightly and made his escape back up to the party. Botan turned away from her husband.

"You're late."

"Hn. Why are you crying?"

She didn't answer his question.

"You know I love you, right?" He nodded. "And you love me?" He grunted, moving closer to her. Her pink eyes stared into the stars, her breath curling out in wispy clouds. "Hiei... I'm pregnant."

The silence almost killed her. He stared at her, his eyes boring holes straight through her soul. He held his chin up high.

"You're going to be a mother?"

"Yes."

"And me... a father?"

"Only you could do it."

The statement held a question to it. A dire question of whether Hiei would raise his family or not. Hiei slipped his warm hand into hers and gazed deeply into the eyes of his wife and mate.

"Good."

He kissed her, his calm cupping her warm cheek. That night he gave her a promise. Judging by the glow that burst from her body, Botan couldn't be happy. And neither could Hiei.

The End

VIII

A/N: Again, thank you for reviewing. I know that it was not as good as my other fics. I hope you can forgive me one day. Sorry again, but I lost faith with this one. Sorry. My sincere apologies for letting all of you down. Please, keep reading, I promise to think things through from now on and NEVER start a fic that I can not finish happily. However, I know quiet a few of people who read this fic have not read my other ones, so cheers to you. I hope you liked the ending. Tell if you did or didn't, it's always been that way. Peace.

-mia


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